Take Two and Sagafilm’s Nordic Crime Drama Hildur Secures International Sales

Key Points

• Nordic crime drama Hildur has secured international distribution deals across Europe and Australia, expanding its reach beyond Finland and Iceland.
• Broadcasters acquiring the six-part series include Canal+ in France, NPO in the Netherlands, SBS in Australia, RTV in Slovenia and LTV in Latvia.
• Cineflix Rights, the programme’s worldwide distributor, announced the sales at MIPCOM.
• The series is a co-production between Finland’s Take Two Studios and Iceland’s Sagafilm, in association with Finnish finance company IPR.VC.
• Hildur was produced for Finnish streaming service Ruutu and Icelandic platform Siminn TV, where it has already aired.
• The drama is based on novels by Satu Rämö, which Cineflix Rights says have sold more than two million copies across 30 territories.
• Set in Iceland’s Westfjords, the story follows detective Hildur as she investigates crime while carrying the unresolved trauma of her two sisters’ disappearance 25 years earlier.
• Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir stars in the title role, with Tinna Hrafnsdóttir directing and Matti Laine serving as head writer alongside Margret Örnolfsdottir.
• Cineflix Rights chief executive Tim Mutimer described the series as an example of “Nordic Blue”, a style presented as distinct from the darker atmosphere traditionally associated with Nordic Noir.

The most significant development is the series’ international expansion through new broadcaster agreements, followed by its production background, literary origins, creative team and prospects for reaching wider audiences.

Australian News Today (ANT) October 12, 2026 – Nordic crime drama Hildur, produced by Finland’s Take Two Studios and Iceland’s Sagafilm, has secured distribution deals with broadcasters in France, the Netherlands, Australia, Slovenia and Latvia. The six-part series, distributed worldwide by Cineflix Rights, is based on the bestselling novels of Finnish-Icelandic author Satu Rämö and has already aired on Finnish streaming service Ruutu and Icelandic platform Siminn TV. The international sales were announced at MIPCOM, marking a further stage in the programme’s expansion beyond its original markets.

The acquisitions bring the Iceland-set detective drama to broadcasters across several European markets and Australia. Among the confirmed buyers are Canal+ in France, NPO in the Netherlands, SBS in Australia, RTV in Slovenia and LTV in Latvia. The agreements underline the international distribution strategy behind the production, which combines Scandinavian-language and English-language elements within a crime story rooted in Icelandic settings and characters.

Cineflix Rights is responsible for worldwide distribution and is leading the programme’s international rollout following its initial release in Finland and Iceland. The company has positioned Hildur as an example of the Nordic Blue genre, a description intended to distinguish its tone from the darker and more atmospheric Nordic Noir dramas that have helped establish Scandinavian crime fiction internationally.

Which Broadcasters Have Acquired Hildur for International Distribution?

The latest sales announced by Cineflix Rights involve five broadcasters serving audiences in Europe and Australia. Canal+ has acquired the series for France, while Dutch public broadcaster NPO has secured it for the Netherlands. In Australia, SBS is among the confirmed buyers, alongside RTV in Slovenia and LTV in Latvia.

The agreements give the production access to established broadcasting platforms in markets beyond its original Finnish and Icelandic audiences. However, the announcement does not specify the individual broadcast dates, streaming availability, or the precise terms of the deals.

The sales were announced at MIPCOM, an international television market where distributors, production companies, broadcasters and streaming services negotiate programme acquisitions and distribution arrangements.

For Cineflix Rights, the agreements represent the next stage in taking the series to international audiences after its release in the territories for which it was originally commissioned.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Tim Mutimer, chief executive of Cineflix Rights, said: “Following its success in Finland and Iceland, we’re delighted to be rolling the series out internationally with these deals.”

His remarks linked the new acquisitions to the programme’s initial performance in its home markets. The statement did not provide audience figures, ratings data or other quantitative measures of that success.

The confirmed sales nevertheless establish a wider distribution footprint for the series, giving broadcasters in five countries the opportunity to introduce viewers to a crime drama based on a substantial literary property.

What Makes Hildur Different from Traditional Nordic Noir?

Cineflix Rights has presented Hildur as an example of what it calls Nordic Blue, a genre description that separates the series from the more familiar Nordic Noir tradition.

Nordic Noir has become an internationally recognised label for crime dramas associated with Scandinavian settings, complex investigations, morally difficult characters and often sombre visual atmospheres. Productions in this tradition frequently combine police investigations with wider social concerns and the personal difficulties faced by investigators.

According to the announcement, Mutimer described Hildur as not quite as dark and moody as the classic Nordic Noir dramas for which the region has become known.

The Nordic Blue description therefore provides a way to communicate the series’ tonal identity to potential buyers. Rather than presenting the programme solely through the conventions associated with darker Scandinavian crime fiction, the distributor is identifying a related but distinct approach.

The announcement does not provide a detailed genre definition or explain every stylistic difference between Nordic Blue and Nordic Noir. It would therefore be premature to treat the label as evidence of a formally established category with fixed characteristics.

What is clear is that Cineflix Rights considers the distinction relevant to the programme’s international positioning. Genre descriptions can help broadcasters and distributors explain how a production fits within an established market while communicating the characteristics that set it apart from comparable titles.

For Hildur, the combination of a detective-led narrative, a remote Icelandic setting and an established literary source provides the foundation for its crime-drama identity. The Nordic Blue label adds another element to the way the series is being presented to international buyers.

How Does the Story of Hildur Connect Crime with a Family Mystery?

The series is set in Iceland’s Westfjords region and follows Hildur, a detective working in her hometown. Her professional responsibilities intersect with a deeply personal mystery: her two sisters disappeared while travelling home from school 25 years earlier.

The unresolved disappearance forms a central part of the character’s background and gives the story a personal dimension beyond the conventional structure of a police investigation.

Hildur is played by Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir. The character’s position as a detective in the community where the family tragedy occurred creates a connection between her work and the events that shaped her life.

The series’ premise combines two narrative elements: the demands of investigating crime and the continuing consequences of a disappearance that has remained unresolved for decades.

The available announcement does not disclose the full plot, the specific cases investigated during the six episodes, or whether the mystery surrounding Hildur’s sisters is resolved. Those details should not be inferred from the basic premise.

The Westfjords setting is another defining element of the production. Located in north-western Iceland, the region provides the geographical context for a story centred on a detective whose professional and personal histories are closely connected to her hometown.

The production’s Icelandic setting and Finnish creative involvement also reflect the cross-border nature of the project. Although the story is rooted in Iceland, the series brings together companies and personnel from both Finland and Iceland.

How Successful Are Satu Rämö’s Novels Behind the Television Adaptation?

Hildur is based on novels by Satu Rämö, whose work provides the source material for the television adaptation.

According to Cineflix Rights, the books have sold more than two million copies across 30 territories. The figure indicates an established readership across multiple markets and gives the television series a literary foundation that extends beyond its original broadcast territories.

The scale of the reported book sales is relevant to the international distribution strategy because a recognised literary property can provide a clear point of reference for broadcasters assessing a programme.

An adaptation based on existing novels may already have a defined protagonist, an established setting and a developed fictional world. These elements can help distinguish a production from original scripts competing for attention in the international television market.

However, book sales alone do not establish how well a television adaptation will perform. Viewership depends on a range of factors, including the broadcaster’s promotion, scheduling, audience preferences and the availability of competing programmes.

The announcement does not provide detailed sales figures for individual countries or identify which of the 30 territories account for the largest readership. Nor does it establish that the books’ commercial performance will translate directly into television ratings.

What it does confirm is that the production is built on a literary property with substantial reported international sales. That provides Cineflix Rights and its broadcasting partners with an established reference point when presenting the drama to audiences familiar with crime fiction.

The adaptation also brings the story into a different format, allowing the six-part series to develop its characters and setting through television rather than relying exclusively on the novels.

Who Is Behind the Production of Hildur?

The series is a co-production between Finland’s Take Two Studios and Iceland’s Sagafilm, with Finnish finance company IPR.VC participating in the project.

It was made for Finnish streaming service Ruutu and Icelandic platform Siminn TV, where it has already aired. Cineflix Rights is handling worldwide distribution.

The creative team brings together professionals with experience in Nordic television drama.

Tinna Hrafnsdóttir, whose credits include Vigdis and Descendants, directs the series. Matti Laine, associated with Bordertown and The Paradise, serves as head writer. He works alongside Margret Örnolfsdottir, whose credits include Trapped and Prisoners.

The production’s executive producers represent the three principal companies involved.

Sara Norberg and Eero Hietala serve as executive producers for Take Two Studios. Kjartan Thor Thordarson and Tjörvi Thorsson represent Sagafilm, while Timo Argillander, James Baker and Andrea Scarso are executive producers for IPR.VC.

This arrangement reflects the collaboration required to bring a cross-border television production from development and financing through production and international distribution.

The announcement does not detail the individual responsibilities of each executive producer, the production budget, filming schedule or the precise division of financing between the participating companies. Those aspects remain outside the information disclosed in the sales announcement.

Nevertheless, the confirmed credits establish the principal companies and creative personnel responsible for the series and illustrate the cooperation between Finnish and Icelandic production interests.

Why Could International Sales Matter for Nordic Television Producers?

The international expansion of Hildur demonstrates how a regional television production can reach audiences beyond the market for which it was originally commissioned.

The series was made for Ruutu in Finland and Siminn TV in Iceland. Its subsequent sale to broadcasters in France, the Netherlands, Australia, Slovenia and Latvia creates additional opportunities for distribution in markets with different languages and viewing habits.

For production companies, international distribution can extend the commercial life of a programme beyond its initial release. A series that has completed its original broadcast run may continue reaching viewers through acquisitions by other broadcasters, subject to the relevant licensing arrangements.

For distributors, the process involves identifying potential buyers, presenting the programme’s appeal and negotiating agreements for different territories. In this case, Cineflix Rights is responsible for the worldwide distribution strategy.

The production’s combination of a recognisable crime-drama format, an Icelandic setting and a literary source provides several elements that can be communicated to prospective buyers. The reported sales of the original novels also give the programme a measurable literary background, although the announcement does not establish whether individual broadcasters made their decisions on that basis.

International sales can also help Nordic productions gain visibility in territories where the original language, location or production companies may be less familiar to audiences.

However, the extent of that visibility will depend on how each broadcaster schedules and promotes the series, whether it offers the programme through streaming services, and how viewers respond after release.

The current announcement confirms the acquisitions but does not provide information about subsequent audience performance in the new territories.

What Is the Background to Hildur’s International Expansion?

The international sales follow the series’ initial release on Ruutu in Finland and Siminn TV in Iceland. The programme was developed as a co-production between Take Two Studios and Sagafilm, with IPR.VC involved as a Finnish finance company.

Its source material comes from Satu Rämö’s novels, which Cineflix Rights says have sold more than two million copies across 30 territories. The story is set in Iceland’s Westfjords and centres on a detective whose personal history is shaped by the disappearance of her two sisters.

The production brings together Finnish and Icelandic companies, a director with previous television credits, and writers with experience in crime and dramatic storytelling. Its six-episode format provides the structure for the television adaptation.

Cineflix Rights’ announcement at MIPCOM marks the next stage of the programme’s distribution. The confirmed buyers in France, the Netherlands, Australia, Slovenia and Latvia provide a broader international footprint following the original Finnish and Icelandic releases.

The Nordic Blue description is also part of the distributor’s positioning of the series. By distinguishing the programme from the darker Nordic Noir tradition, Cineflix Rights has identified a specific way of presenting the drama to prospective buyers and audiences.

The available information does not establish a release timetable for each newly acquired territory, disclose the financial value of the sales or provide audience figures from the initial broadcasts. The confirmed development is the expansion of the series through the named broadcaster agreements.

How Could Hildur’s International Sales Affect Broadcasters and Viewers?

The new agreements are expected to give audiences in the five acquiring countries access to a series that was originally produced for Finnish and Icelandic platforms. For viewers interested in crime fiction, the programme offers a story built around a detective, an unresolved family disappearance and the setting of Iceland’s Westfjords.

For broadcasters, the acquisition adds a six-part Nordic crime drama to their programme offerings. Its literary origins and the reported international sales of the source novels provide useful background when introducing the series to audiences.

For Take Two Studios and Sagafilm, international distribution extends the series beyond its original markets. For Cineflix Rights, the agreements represent progress in its stated effort to roll out the production internationally.

The commercial impact will depend on factors that have not yet been disclosed, including licensing terms, local release schedules, promotional activity and audience response. The sales announcement does not provide enough evidence to quantify any financial return or predict viewing figures.