What is going on with Scandinavia?

Internationalization. Something that has been going on in Hollywood for the last decade or so. To the point where 70% of a movie’s box office revenue derives from theaters outside of the United States and Canada.

Hollywood’s focus has been on the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China. Understandable because each is a big country representing a significant opportunity for Hollywood to create a foothold and generate new sources of income.

And then there is Scandinavia.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, a Swedish novel turned into a Swedish movie adapted into an American movie for Columbia Pictures.

“The Killing,” a Danish TV series adapted into an American TV show on AMC.

Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish filmmaker who directed Drive and the upcoming Only God Forgives.

Just this week Amy Poehler and her brother announced the creation of a TV production company to oversee “Welcome to Sweden,” a half-hour scripted TV comedy series.

Even on the spec script front, things are happening in that region of the world.

In July 2012, Dustin Benson’s spec script “Viral” got setup. He is an American living in Norway.

Last month Jim Stansberry and Annika Tuneld sold the spec script “Wildflowers”. Stanberry lives in the U.S., while Tuneld is located in Sweden.

Plus I’m hearing another spec script from a Swedish writer is in the process of getting set up.

All of which leads to the question: What is going on with Scandinavia?

Happy to see these deals. But curious if perhaps there is something in the water there impacting Hollywood’s decision-making process.

Any of you GITS readers who live in Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden or Finland, if you have an opinion about this apparent break-out of interest by Hollywood in your filmmakers, TV series and movies, please provide your thoughts in comments.

Bottom line: Yet another example of how the map has shrunk, access to Hollywood greater than it has ever been, you can literally be anywhere in the world and get your story in front of industry insiders.

All you need to do is write a great script.

Note: Coming up this weekend, a special treat for any of Ingmar Bergman fans.

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