Final 'Wallander' series begins principle filming
BBC 1 announced last week that the final three-part series of the hauntingly brilliant detective drama, Wallander, has begun principle production filming. Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, the final trilogy of 90-minute episodes will adapt the two remaining works by Swedish author Henning Mankell that features the character. The first will be based on the 1993 novel “The White Lioness” while the final two episodes will be a two-part adaptation of Mankell’s final novel “The Troubled Man”. Principal photography will encompass a number of locations including Skane, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark and Cape Town, South Africa.
On the thought of bringing Mankell’s creation to the small screen one last time, Branagh said: “I always approach each series of Wallander with anticipation and excitement, but this last series of films contain some of the greatest challenges the character has ever faced. It’s a privilege to try to meet them, and I look forward to a great Swedish Autumn working on Henning Mankell’s masterly creation.”
The story of “The White Lioness” takes place in South Africa and will be filmed on location in Cape Town. In “The Troubled Man”, Wallander, haunted by his past, faces a deeply personal case while looking towards the future with profound uncertainty. He will have no choice but to come face-to-face with his most intractable adversary – himself. “The Troubled Man” will be filmed on location in Skane in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark.
Wallander is about as good as it gets. The multi award-winning series has won seven BAFTAs, including Best Drama Series and Best Actor for Kenneth Branagh in the titular role in 2010, following his Best Actor award at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in 2009. Wallander has also been nominated for two Emmy awards and one Golden Globe. Along with Branagh, the returning cast will include Jeany Spark as Linda Wallander, Richard McCabe as Nyberg, Barnaby Kay as Lennart Mattson, and Ingeborga Dapkunaite as Baiba Liepa.
