Tamal Kundu
The shooting of Glenn Close’s ‘The Summer Book’ is set to begin in July 2023 in Finland. Based on the 1972 Swedish-language novel of the same name (‘Sommarboken’ in original Swedish) by Finnish author Tove Jansson, the film is directed by Charlie McDowell (‘Windfall’), who also serves as a producer through Case Study Films, along with his partner Alex Orlovsky. Robert Jones (‘Stanton Blues’) developed the script from Jansson’s original work, and High Frequency Entertainment and Hurst Capital are set to co-finance the project.
Published in English in 2003, ‘The Summer Book’ follows a six-year-old girl named Sophia and her grandmother as they spend a summer on a picturesque and remote island in the Gulf of Finland. The story delves deep into their relationship and shared grief over the death of Sophia’s mother, exploring themes such as life, death, love, and the nature of divinity. The book celebrated the 50th anniversary of its original publication in 2022.
“I’m deeply honored to be adapting one of my favorite novels, Tove Jansson’s ‘The Summer Book,’ and to film in Finland, the beautiful country in which this story is based,” McDowell said about the project. “It’s long been a dream of mine to work with Glenn Close. I’ve long admired her thoughtfulness, immense versatility, and deeply captivating presence both on the stage and on screen.”
Aside from Close, the film’s cast will include Anders Danielsen Lie (‘The Worst Person in the World’), whom McDowell discovered “from his brilliant collaborations with Joachim Trier and he’s quickly become one of my favorite actors out of Scandinavia. I can’t imagine a more magnificent duo to collaborate with on this film.” Alma Pöysti (‘Fallen Leaves’) and Pekka Strang (‘The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die’) will also appear in the film, portraying Mrs. And Mr. Malander, respectively.
Sophia Jansson, niece of Tove Jansson and the person who inspired the character of Sophia in the book, conveyed her excitement about the project. “The Summer Book is dear to many readers around the world,” she said. “It is my favorite of Tove Jansson’s books, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Every word of it ushers in vivid childhood memories of my beloved grandmother – her voice, her way of relating to and moving around the island. Seeing that story finally come alive on the big screen will be fantastic and moving on a deeply personal level.”
One of the influential actresses of her generation, Close has won three Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award eight times. In her nearly five-decade-long career, Close has starred in films such as ‘Fatal Attraction‘ (1987), ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ (1988), and ‘The Wife’ and TV shows such as ‘The Shield’ and ‘Damages.’ She has also appeared on stage for productions like ‘The Real Thing,’ ‘Death and the Maiden,’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ Recently, she was cast as Marjan Montazeri in the second season of the Apple TV+ series ‘Tehran.’
CAA Media Finance was in charge of organizing the film’s finances and will take care of its worldwide distribution. We can expect more updates on the casting and production of ‘The Summer Book’ in the coming months.
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