Fremantle’s Monster Sets Norwegian Drama ‘The Odesa Wrestlers,’ Co-created by ‘Vikings’’ Thorbjørn Harr, for Series Mania’s Co-Pro Pitch (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comAnnika Pham Fremantle’s Norwegian banner Monster, behind hit TV shows “Exit,” “Furia” and “Pørni, will be bringing to Series Mania Forum’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions ‘The Odesa Wrestlers’, which has received development coin from Norwegian pubcaster NRK.
Celebrated Norwegian podcaster Joachim Førsund and star actor Thorbjørn Harr (“Vikings”, “22 July”, “Sex”) are making their debut as co-creators, with Førsund also serving as screenwriter and Harr as episodic director. “We’re in discussions with Thorbjørn to play one of the main roles, but nothing is confirmed,” said producer and Monster head of scripted Cathrine Simonsen.
Set in small town Elverum in rural Norway, the story turns on two young Ukrainian refugees and brothers Andriy and Mago as they join a local wrestling team, with the hope to shape a brighter future for themselves.
Their remarkable skills and unorthodox methods quickly disrupt the social hierarchy in the club – headed by former world champion Willy – as well as the local youth community. “The wrestling arena serves as a mirror to broader global trends of nationalism and segregation,” explained the co-creators. “Through Elverum’s wrestling club, we paint a vivid picture of a rugged, ambitious working-class environment where status is revered.
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