Media Res International on ‘Summer of 1985’ and Sequel Book Option

As the Swedish show “Summer of 1985,” based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (“Let the Right One In,” “Border”), is set to make a splash at Canneseries’ competition, its production banner Media Res International is sitting on a possible sequel.

According to the series producer Anna-Klara Carlsten, the international division of U.S. studio Media Res has signed a first option on Lindqvist’s follow up book “Summer of 1986” (“Sommaren 1986-Lovisa och Melinda”) to be published in Sweden Aug. 17.

Both IPs are set in the Stockholm Archipelago over a seemingly peaceful summer holiday and deal with friendship and courage, through the stories of young characters whose lives are rocked by unexpected events.

In “Summer of 1985,” ‘the summer of Live Aid’ as Lindqvist underscores on his website https://www.johnajvidelindqvist.com/book.php?id=35, we follow seven teen boys and girls. The discovery of a drowned local boy and a mermaid on the mysterious island of Svärtan, “plunge them into a perilous world where both their friendship and their survival are at stake,” reads the logline.

Meanwhile In “Summer of 1986” – or  the ‘Chernobyl summer,” according to Lindqvist – the plot turns on two younger female characters, Lovisa and Melinda.

“For Media Res International, securing a first option on “Summer of 1986” gives us an exciting opportunity to stay ahead of the curve with a story that organically expands a world which audiences have already connected with,” the banner said in a statement. 

“The novel carries Lindqvist’s signature blend of the ordinary and the uncanny, and by shifting the focus to a younger set of siblings – set against a year marked by major moments in Swedish history, from the assassination of the Prime Minister Olof Palme to the aftermath of Chernobyl, it offers a fresh entry point that could meaningfully extend the life of the series.”

“I’m actually in the middle of reading the book!” admits Carlsten on a video call, sitting alongside “Summer of 1985” concept director Björn Stein and head-writer/co-director Amy Deasismont, as the three unpack for Variety the making of the series, ahead of its world premiere in Cannes, April 27.

Fifth Season

“Summer of 1985,” ordered by Swedish pubcaster SVT, and co-produced by ZDF Neo and Film Stockholm, is repped internationally by Fifth Season. The six-part coming-of-age thriller with magical elements weighs in as the first Swedish series produced by “The Morning Show” and “Scenes from a Marriage”’s Media Res international production arm.

Its journey from book to screen started when Lindqvist’s literary agent offered the novel to Media Res head of international Lars Blomgren in spring 2023, who then submitted it to Carlsten a couple of months later. The latter, whose credits include the Netflix feelgood “Tore” and Viaplay YA drama “Thunder in My Heart,” was instantly drawn to the project.

“I had done a lot of coming of ages; this was familiar territory yet totally new, in the thriller-mystery genre. “There’s literally a mermaid and a dead body!”

Carlsten, who officially joined the Media Res’ Stockholm outpost in 2025 as part of the outfit’s international push, felt “Summer of 1985” was the perfect Swedish-rooted IP to draw in a large international audience. It combined Lindqvist’s brand name (attached to the earlier successful adaptations “Let the Right One In,” “Border” and “Handling the Undead”), a catchy sense of nostalgia, music from the 1980s, and picturesque setting in the Stockholm archipelago.

Head-writer Deasismont who had worked with Carlsten on “Thunder in My Heart,” was matched with rising scribe and Columbia University graduate Melina Maraki.

“I had two writers born in the 1990s. After 1985 when the story is set, I started thinking: which director aged 50+ can I bring in?” Carlsten quips.  “Lars (Blomgren) had a long-standing relationship with Björn; they had worked on several projects including “The Bridge.” I felt it would be a perfect combo with him.”

Deasismont said she fell in love with the characters, the nostalgia that reminded her of her own summers with friends, “when you have all the time in the world; you grow up together and maybe share the darker parts of becoming an adult.”

A big Lindqvist fan, she was stunned by his generosity and openness when it came to sharing his literary material with her and Maraki. “When we visited him at his house, we thought we would get some answers, particularly regarding his interpretation of the mermaid, but he was like-oh, I’ll leave it to you to figure it out, which set our creativity going,” says Deasismont.

Stein for his part said he was approached by Blomgren when he was “on a completely different track, busy developing two series and a movie.” But he was quickly lured by the quality of the existing scripts and chance to dive into Lindqvist’s universe. “At the same time,” he recalls, “I literally just bumped into Tomas Alfredson and Dino Jonsätter [director and editor of ”Let the Right One In” respectively]. I said, ‘You guys put the bar pretty high. It will be difficult to live up to it. But then I embraced the challenge.”

While Lindqvist’s literary work provided the backbone to the storyline, screen references included Rob Reiner’s classic coming-of-age “Stand by Me” “for its warm portrayal of friendship,” says Deasismont, and the HBO show “Sharp Objects,” for the exploration of memory.

After a challenging casting process which involved viewing 1,300 kids, the lead role of teenager Johannes landed in the hands of newcomer Linus Rogsgård. “He was one of the few who was not stuck to his lines,” says Deasismont who enjoyed “seeing the group of amateur kids blossom as actors.”

Among the seasoned actors, Rolf Lassgård who plays one of the boys’ grand-fathers, was a natural choice. “He’s the biggest actor in Sweden and we had a really good relationship on “Whiskey on the Rocks;” it was fun to continue that collaboration,” Stein says.

Mermaid Look
For the mermaid, one of the biggest visual challenges, the team opted for practical rather than CGI effects, for budget reasons but also to allow for more realistic scenes.

According to Stein, most shots were made with an actor and dancer (Rebecca Labbé) in a wetsuit, and Media Res International hired VFX geek and makeup artist Göran Lundström from EffekStudion. The two-time Oscar nominee (“Border,” “House of Gucci”) created the antithesis of Disney’s gentle Ariel – a scary creature, “more fish than human, and with six boobs”, which wasn’t our idea,” Stein quips.

For the director, Lindqvist’s mermaid embodies “the fluid coming-of-age feeling experienced differently by the kids, an expression of their subconscious.”

“She symbolizes the loss of innocence,” adds Deasismont. “She can be dangerous, like the journey into adulthood that our kids in the middle of puberty undergo.”

Filming in the Stockholm archipelago kicked off May 20, 2025 and lasted for approximately 70 days, with a five-week pause in July due to a tourist influx.

On the production side, Carlsten says SVT’s commitment was quintessential to “build trust, attract talent and financial partners including German pubcaster ZDF.”

Following the Canneseries launch, the show will land on SVT Play in July.