I'm from Norway, and I work in connection with the film industry here. As you point out in the post, most of the outstanding stuff is going on in Denmark and Sweden. They've been really good for a long time now at cultivating their talents, both in film and TV. Norway's been lagging behind, and we've been scratching our heads over what to do to catch up to our neighbours. Of course, Norway never had a pioneer like Bergman or von Trier - and that may have something to do with it. Norway has a national film school for directors, DPs and screenwriters, but after 15 years or so, I'm sorry to say that all it has resulted in is mediocre at best. The great Norwegian hope now is Joachim Trier, who wrote and directed two excellent films so far: Reprise and Oslo 31. August. He's making his first Hollywood production now. It's called Louder than Bombs, and is going to star Jesse Eisenberg and Gabriel Byrne.

Why? In my experience over there, Scandinavians are funny. I mean, they are good with comedy. (Which helps not just with comedy projects, but any project IMO.) They have a sense of themselves, how they are perceived. Ask a Dane to impersonate an American meeting a Dane: "Oh, so your from Denmark? Cool. I've never met any Dutch people before. What's Amsterdam like?" (BTW, while that joke, in part, is at the expense of Americans, it is also a bit self-deprecating - "We are a small country, so of course no one knows where we are.") Most are fluent in English - to the point they can both appreciate and make jokes in English. Many are polyglots and have a sense of, and interest in, myriad cultures. As to why it's happening now? To me, it's as if some oil driller left Pennsylvania 100 years ago wondering if maybe there's any oil in Texas.

Don't forget Netflix's Lilyhammer, which I hope to resume watching someday if I can ever clear out the damn DVR.

Good article in the Guardian about the Dnaish TV industry. Quite a different approach from you guys. http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/jan/14/borgen-danish-tv-thrillers?INTCMP=SRCH

Sweden always stood out when it came to design, art and moviemaking. Throughout history Sweden won 21 Oscar's. Why Hollywood is interested in Swedish screenwriters? I'm not sure they are. Not to a point where they look for you. I sold my screenplay as a total underdog with no contacts and without telling anyone I was from Sweden. No matter where you are or where you're from you have to write a damn good screenplay. There's no way around it. Still, I think the industry likes the restrained and low keyed "language" that we use in Scandinavia. Our story telling stands in contrast to the American style which sometimes are very wordy with (too) much backstory and dialogue.

I'm always seeking opportunities to bridge Norway and Hollywood. Right now, i'm fleshing out a "Die Hard set in Oslo's Grand Hotel during the Nobel Peace ceremonies", and would love to lock this idea in with a producer in LA.

I'm originally from Sweden but I live in LA. My take on what has happened is that a lot of production companies are rising up and optioning books has become widely popular over there. I think scandinavia in general tends to focus a lot on the gritty raw sides of humanity despite the genre of the movie. Then there's the "exotic" thing, with a new environment. I do know however that a lot of these movies has had help from many of the popular script doctors in LA. I'd say most Swedish film is really bad, but there are a few nuggets that hit like wildfire "Let the right one in", "Girl with the dragon tattoo", "Easy Money" etc. and they're all based on best selling books. A good friend of mine out here recently sold a buddy movie which was highly character driven. I know the Swedish author Leif GW Person sold his rights to his books CBS and made a ridiculous amount of money... 20 Million dollars per year. Swedish article here: http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/tv/article15210417.ab So who knows, Maybe the Swedes are on their way into Hollywood.

You can sign up for a free course in Scandinavian Film and Television offered by the University of Copenhagen via Coursera.

Let's not forget norwegian HEADHUNTERS director Morten Tyldum who's been attached to such highprofile projects as THE IMITATION GAME and DISCIPLE PROGRAM, swedish director Daniel Espinosa who directed SAFE HOUSE (and swedish original version of EASY MONEY) danish Stefan Jaworski sold spec script THE LAST WITNESS two years ago (http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2011/03/spec-script-sale-last-witness.html), and not to mention the actors like Stellan, Alexander and Bill Skarsgård, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Malin Akerman etc. I'm a swedish screenwriter based in Berlin, who has studied in, and looking to get back to LA soon. Like mentioned in previous comments, scandinavians are taught english from the age of 7. Scandinavian languages are small languages, so it's only natural for us to feel the need to "branch out". Speaking from own experiences, many swedes are modest and reserved, but bloom and and prosper when it comes to ingenuity and creativity, with a focus you might attain only when genuinely enjoying the lonely hours behind a writer's desk. Certainly there are people like this in all countries, even in larger scales, so perhaps it can be boiled down simply to the idea of "Could Bergman, can I"

Hallå Christopher, kul att se en annan svensk här på sidan. Inte ofta man stöter på likasinnade från hemlandet. Bodde själv i LA för något år sedan, men för nuvarande i Berlin. Hoppas på att komma tillbaka snart dock. Vore väldigt kul att höra hur livet ser ut för en svensk manusförfattare i LA. Kanske om du skriver din mail skulle vi kunna utbyta några ord!

I've been reading Scandinavian thrillers for a long time. They are great. It was just a matter of time for the rest of the world (read Hollywood) to discover them. Danish children's movies are great too. I think in the future many of those films will be remade by Hollywood.

There are a few reasons why I think the pull to Sweden / Scandinavia is so strong right now one of which is a comment from above I completely agree with & love so much about many of the films & filmmakers I love from Sweden: Gritty, raw, unapologetic, good cinema. The other reason I see Sweden as rising to the top of Hollywood's list is the people & culture. From the time I've spent there the past few years I can both easily relate to them as an American but also am intrigued by them. To me they have that under stated elegance you would typically associate with a Brit - sans the English ego. The Swede's are just a much more lively (and sometimes just plain crazy!) and interesting culture. I can't wait to consume more from them.