The countdown is on to March 26, when Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole hits Netflix. Throughout the season, everyone’s favourite anti-hero, Harry Hole, goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary (and corrupt detective), Tom Waaler. As the pair navigate the blurred ethical lines of the criminal justice system, Harry must do all he can to catch a serial killer and bring Waaler to justice before it is too late.
To whet your appetite, we’ve already produced a list of “must-watch” Scandi detective series and picked out our favourite Jo Nesbø books. But, in this instance, we’re here to tell you exactly why we’re so excited for the Netflix thriller to drop.
1. The Cast
In Jo Nesbø’s books, the titular character is described as 192cm (that’s 6 foot 2), with a lean, muscular build. His blonde hair and blue eyes are typical for his home country, but he’s got a more gruff, lived in appeal. The casting of Tobias Santelmann absolutely nails this (no offence, Michael Fassbender). More than this, we have a very capable nemesis in Joel Kinnaman’s Waaler. The Fortress’ Pia Tjelta is also confirmed as Harry’s love interest, Rakel Fauke, whilst IMDb lists the likes of Josefin Asplund, Ane Dahl Torp, Simon J. Berger and Jesper Christensen in, as yet, unnamed roles.
2. The Format
A TV series makes much more sense than a one-off film. The books are layered with so many twists and red herrings it feels almost impossible to cram it all into anything under two hours. With Netflix involved, we’ll hopefully see lots of character development, twisty sub-plots and the potential for more books to be adapted.
3. Location Filming
The pre-production stills and first glimpse images show us a shadowy, grimy Oslo, not the picturesque tourist destination we may all imagine. Using Nordic actors on location gives the whole series another layer of credibility and authenticity; it should really capture the spirit of the best-selling books.
4. The Directors
The series is co-directed by Øystein Karlsen and Anna Zackrisson (pictured below), who have already given us a plethora of binge-worthy TV series. Karlsen has written and directed the likes of DAG, So Long Marianne and Exit and has directed the hit series, Lilyhammer. Zackrisson, meanwhile, was in the director’s chair for The Helicopter Heist, Deliver Me and Snow Angels and was First Assistant Director on Let the Right One In. We’re sure to get an atmospheric, tense thriller from these great creatives.
5. The Story
Over the course of what appears to be nine episodes (don’t quote us on that), the series will cover the course of events of The Devil’s Star, the fifth book in the Harry Hole series. The book centres around the Nemesis investigation, during which Hole uncovers his colleague, Tom Waaler, as a criminal arms dealer. So, we’ve got the potential for Satanic, ritualistic murders, a serial killer on the loose, police corruption and, of course, Hole’s own personal demons. It’s going to be packed with moments of tension, violence and trauma. We can’t wait.
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to convince you, why not check out the trailer below!
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole comes to Netflix globally on March 26 this year.
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