Iceland’s Act4, co-led by “Severance” and “Trapped” star Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, is teaming with Kari Skogland, “The Handsmaid’s Tale” director, to adapt “Dead Weight,” the latest novel from Hildur Knútsdóttir.
Internationally acclaimed, scoring a Primetime Emmy nomination for “The Handsmaid Tale,” Skogland’s directing credits include all of miniseries “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” episodes of “House of Cards” and “Vikings” and pilots of “Smoke” and the upcoming “121212.”
Knütdöttir rates as one of Iceland’s most talked-about young writers in international after the English-language publication of “The Night Guest,” named by The New York Times as one of the best thrillers of 2024.
Act4, together with Skogland Films, has secured the screen rights to “Dead Weight,” with Skogland attached to direct. The partners are developing the adaptation as a feature film.
“We at Act4 are thrilled to bring Hildur Knútsdóttir’s work to the screen,” says Ólafsson, producer and founder of ACT4. “She is one of Iceland’s most exciting emerging literary voices, and her novel is both intimate in its emotional depth and cinematic in scope.
“Kari and I first collaborated on ‘NOS4A2′ and most recently on ‘121212’ for Apple TV+,” he added. “We’ve been looking for the right story to reunite on, and Hildur’s book felt like a perfect fit. There is no filmmaker better suited to translate this material for a global audience than Kari. With her vision at the helm, we’re excited to share this remarkable story with the world.”
“Darri is an incredibly talented performer, and I’m thrilled to be in his orbit,” says Skogland. “When he introduced Hildur’s book ‘Dead Weight’ to me, I was immediately drawn to its unique feminine voice and flawed characters who stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. I’m looking forward to bringing it to the screen with Act4.”
Carving out an ever larger reputation for chilling horror fiction – chilling is the word consistently used with her fiction – Knútsdóttir’s “Dead Weight,” described as Act4 as a dark psychological thriller, was published to critical acclaim, being a “impressively subtle and slow-burning psychological chiller,” said Publishers Weekly.
“I originally wrote ‘Dead Weight’ as a stage play, so I believe it lends itself very naturally to adaptation,” said Knútsdóttir. “I’ve followed Act4 since the company was founded and have great confidence in its ability to create something extraordinary from the book. I’m incredibly excited to see the project develop.”
Act4 was launched in late 2022 by Ólafsson, leading Icelandic TV series producer Hörður Rúnarsson (“As Long As We Live,” “Black Sands,” “Fractures,” “Ordinary People”) and Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson, Act4 CEO and executive producer who served as the creator-writer of “The Minister,” “Thin Ice” and “Stella Blómkvist 2.”
Act4 is premiering its first title, Canneseries hit “Reykjavik Fusion” on Arte next month, featuring Ólafsson and Hera Hilmar. Directed by Samuel & Gunnar, it proved a massive hit in Iceland, broadcast by Siminn. It is also in post-production post-production of the series “Death of a Horse,” for RÚV and ZDF. It will broadcast in late 2026. International distribution is handled by Erik Barmack’s L.A.-based Wild Sheep Content.
“Dead Weight”