Distributor acquires all UK rights to Hans Petter Moland’s action-comedy.

Metrodome has acquired all UK rights to The Prize Idiot.

Hans Petter Moland’s action-comedy, starring Stellan Skarsgård, Bruno Ganz, Pål Sverre Hagen and Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, was sold during the Cannes Market where pre-sales of the film were launched for the first time.

The deal was negotiated by Metrodrome’s Head of Acqusitions Giles Edwards and TrustNordisk’s Head of Sales Susan Wendt.

Edwards said: “Hans Petter Moland’s follow-up to A Somewhat Gentle Man is a stunning, surprising and effortlessly rewarding addition to the thriving Scandinavian crime genre.”

The film has also sold to Continental Film (Albania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia), Film Europe (Czech, Slovakia), Atnine (South Korea) and Neue Visionen (Germany, Austria).

Produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein B. Kvae for Paradox Film 2 AS, The Prize Idiot centres on Nils whose son’s sudden death puts him in the middle of a drug war between Norwegian mafia and the Serbians.

The film is supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, Swedish Film Institute, Danish Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond,  Eurimage, Film3 and Film i Väst. Nordisk Film will release the film domestically in February 2014.