In Political Thriller ‘8 Months,’ Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction: ‘We Were Pretending That Sweden Joined NATO, And Look At Us Now’ (EXCLUSIVE)
19.03.2024 - 07:11
/ variety.com
Marta Balaga Based on the book by Magnus Montelius, Swedish series “8 Months” seemed more like a fantasy than political thriller. Not for long. “I read this book on vacation and I was intrigued by the idea that you could use a political consultant to find a new foreign minister.
The only problem was that it was about NATO. I thought: ‘Nobody cares about that,’” writer Jens Jonsson tells Variety at Series Mania. “I was skeptical, but we decided to take a gamble.
Suddenly, we were pretending that Sweden joined NATO, that they were wondering if we should have nuclear weapons as well. [Broadcaster] TV4 agreed. After the show was greenlit, Ukraine was invaded by Russia and people started to ask: ‘Should we join?’ And look at us now.” Sweden became a full member of NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] on March 7, 2024.
It now counts 32 countries among its members. The producers have shared first-look photos with Variety. “We had to do some serious changes also when shooting, because it just felt too small.
Our reality felt more dangerous than our script! We had to significantly up the stakes,” explains Josefin Neldén. In the show, she plays a struggling journalist Nina who gets the scoop of a lifetime. Riding the wave of her success, she becomes the press secretary for Sweden’s new foreign minister Jacob Weiss (August Wittgenstein).
Soon, she starts to wonder if she has become a pawn in a game that threatens the country’s national security. “I think she always knew something was off. It’s not a surprise.
There was something odd about that revelation and about the man who gave it to her. She thinks she can manage it, but she doesn’t realize the magnitude of it all. It might not be that easy to get out,” says Neldén, also
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