Swedish directing duo Maans Herngren and Hannes Holm flexed their box office muscle once again with their third film, Shit Happens (Det Blir Aldrig Som Man Taenkt Sig). After two weeks, the comedy, about a TV soap actress trying to juggle her family and professional life, has taken $1.2m and remains at the top of the Swedish chart, despite competition from American Beauty and The Talented Mr Ripley.

Herngren and Holm's first hit, Adam And Eva (pictured), was the highest grossing film at the Swedish box office in 1997, taking $5.4m as well as gaining an international release. Since then the duo has established its own production outfit, AS Fladen.

The success of Shit Happens has redeemed Buena Vista International's Swedish arm, which received a box office and critical blow when releasing its second Swedish film The Diver (Dykaren) earlier this year. It grossed only $670,000 after six weeks on release.

Shit Happens is expected to achieve a respectable gross in Norway, where it is due to open on March 31 through BVI's Norwegian sub-distributor, Kommunenes Filmcentral.