With the first film still on theatrical release, The Norwegian Film Fund has already greenlighted the Nordisk sequel to family film The Olsen Gang Jr, which has attracted over 300,000 admissions since it opened on February 7th.

The season's most successful local film is the children's version of Norway's best known film franchise. Nordisk made as many as 13 films based on the original Olsen's Gang franchise. When the actors became too old, the producers chose to make a junior version, which first appeared as a television series on Norway's TV 2.

The same director, Arne Lindtner Næss, will direct the same cast with the same $2.5m budget. Egmont Columbia Tristar Film Distribution will release the sequel in February 2004.

The Norwegian Film Fund has also greenlighted four other films. Producer John M. Jacobsen's Filmkameratene is behind The Woman Of My Life starring Thomas Giertsen, a popular stand-up comedian in a project inspired by Hugh Grant comedies. Alexander Eik is directing the $ 2.5m film to be released by distributor SF Norge this autumn.

Production outfit Paradox is producing the $2.5 drama Hawaii, the new film by Erik Poppe- a mosaic about the lives of a handful of people crossing each other in downtown Oslo. Oro Film will release the film in March 2004. Paradox also received funding for the $3m thriller Those Who Fear The Wolf .Denmark's Angel Film is co-producing the film to be released by Scanbox in April 2004.

Painswick Films is producing the $2.5m Not Naked - a children's film by Torunn Lian about the trials and tribulations of a twelve year-old who falls in love, to be released by SF Norge in September 2004.