NonStop revs up with F1 doc 'Superswede'

Stockholm-based NonStop Entertainment has taken theatrical rights in Scandinavia, Iceland, Benelux and the Baltics for Superswede, the Formula 1 story shooting now. Nice Drama (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared) is producing the feature documentary about Swedish racing legend Ronnie Peterson, a working-class kid who rose to worldwide fame before dying in a crash in 1978. Co-producers are Viaplay and Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen.

Superswede is currently shooting in Örebro, Sweden, Monza, Italy, and London; it will be released in autumn 2017. After the cinema release, the film will be available exclusively from spring 2018 on Scandinavian streaming service Viaplay.

Director Henrik Jansson-Schweizer said: “It’s an amazing love story [between Ronnie and his wife Barbro]. They both tried to fit in, in a strange world of money and glory. They were unseparable through the hard times resulting from Ronnie’s way of challenging the unwritten rules of the racing world.”

Producer Mia Sohlman added, “The reactions from the racing world have been overwhelming and I think we are just starting to realise just how big a star Ronnie was. We are also extremely happy that Ronnie’s and Barbro’s daughter Nina [Kennedy] is participating in the production.”

Kennedy, who is is co producing, added:  “It feels amazing to be part of this project and to get to tell the story of my father’s life with help from all these great legends. It means a lot to me since I was just a small child when dad passed. I also look forward to reliving all the places where my father made history.”

NonStop has previously had success with biographical documentaries including Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words and Searching For Sugar Man. Jakob Abrahamsson, CEO NonStop Entertainment, said:  “We are enormously happy to be on board such an exciting project with Nice Drama just after the successes of The 100-Year Old Man.”

Jonas Karlén, CEO Viaplay, added: “This project is one that evokes passion in everyone involved, and it’ feels great for us to stand behind the first film about one of Sweden’s most iconic athletes of all times. Also, this production marks the first addition of film to our portfolio of original content.”

Ahead of Toronto, NonStop also announced nine new acquisitions: Whitney Houston, Loving Vincent, Graduation, The Handmaiden, Swiss Army Man, The Trip To Spain, Risk, Gimme Danger and Carnage Park.

Jakob Mejlhede, EVP of programming and content development at Viaplay’s parent company MTG, added: “We want to tell great stories through an increasing number of original productions and bring them to viewers across all our platforms. With Superswede we are for the first time joining a movie project and by that adding a new format to our portfolio of originals. I am really excited about this project, and we look forward to bring this amazing story to the audience.”