The thunderbolt flies at dusk takes place in the small town of Ringaryd in Småland during warm summer days and bright summer nights in 1976. The three young people David, Annika and Jonas are drawn into a mystery involving a 3000-year-old Egyptian statue that has been hidden in the old Selanderska farm for centuries. It turns out that a curse rests on the statue and that small coincidences in the past have big consequences here and now. It will be an unforgettable summer of love, adventure and a mystery bigger than they could ever imagine.
The young people are played by Hjalmar Löfmark Yilmaz, Moa Nåsander and Einar Alvarado Lönberg. The series’ script is written by experienced people Ditta Bongenhielm (Bonus family, Höök) and Lovisa Milles (Jordskott, Vår tid er nu) and the international prize-winner is responsible for the direction Atle Knudsen (Afterglow, Zombie-Lars).
Tordyveln flies in the twilight was originally made as a radio serial in 1976 by Maria Gripe and Kay Pollak. In 1978, Maria Gripe’s book came up with the same story. It has become a classic that is often published in new editions and has been awarded prizes such as the Astrid Lindgren prize and the Nils Holgersson plaque. In 1979 it was also recorded as radio theater in Norway by NRK. Both the Norwegian and Swedish radio series became extremely popular and the series has been named the best radio theater of all time in Norway.
Director Atle Knudsen has long had a great love for history:
– Tordyveln flies in the twilight has engaged me since I was 10 years old and listened to the radio series on the driving holiday through Sweden with the family. It had its own atmosphere and there is something timeless and primordial about the story. Finally, we will get to make this amazing story into a great series for the whole family.
Anna Cronemanprogram manager for drama at SVT is happy that the classic story will now meet a new generation also as a TV series:
– It is with great joy that we “press the button” because Tordyveln flies at dusk, and we are very much looking forward to when this classic will meet new generations of audiences. The fact that the project has attached a very fine cast, with for example Tomas von Brömssen in the role of the priest Lindroth, makes us confident in the high quality of the project.
Tordyveln flyger i skymningen is filmed in Västra Götaland and produced by Nordic Drama Queens in a co-production with SVT, Film i Väst, Monster AS and TV2 Norge in collaboration with DR and Fifth season as the television series’ distributor and with the support of the Norwegian Film Institute and Nordisk Film & TV Fund. Producers: Helen Ahlsson and Josefine Tengblad.
This is what former program manager for SVT Children, Johanna Gårdare, wrote about the film adaptation of Tordyveln.
