EXCLUSIVE: We hear that Evil Doghouse Studios has secured the rights to the popular Norwegian book series about eco-terrorist Rino Gulliksen written by author Lars Lenth.
Norwegian director Geir Henning Hopland (Netflix’s Lilyhammer, Magnus) and screenwriter Rolf-Magne Golten Andersen (Magnus, Cabin Life) are attached to the project, which is currently in development as a scripted series.
Lenth’s book series follows lawyer Leonard Vangen and the misanthropic muscle-for-hire, Rino Gulliksen, as the two find themselves unlikely allies in a darkly comedic eco-thriller. The optioned books include the titles The Norwegian Patient (2011), The Vega Brothers (2015), Men Who Hate Wolves (2017), and Gimme Shelter (2020). The book series has not yet been released in the United States.
“I have been a fan of Lenth’s work for many years,” said Evil Doghouse founder and CEO Egil Ødegård. “With each book in the series he has continued to craft a sardonically inventive tale dealing with one of the most pressing issues of the day – how humans interact with nature and the brutal effects of commercial interests on the environment – and it’s funny.”
Evil Doghouse Studios has also acquired the life rights for Syrian screenwriter Esraa Mustafa and is partnering with her on a scripted series, titled Noor. The series, currently in development, will be inspired by Esraa’s own life experiences, from being forced to flee the Syrian capital of Damascus to living and working in a Northern Iraqi refugee camp.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to travel and work in a Kurdish part of Iraq, meeting Syrian refugees with Trond Berg-Nilssen. That is when we were introduced to Esraa Mustafa,” said Ødegård. “Within moments of meeting her, we both knew that this was a simply remarkable woman, whose story needs to be told.”