Gösta,the 8x45 min comedy drama written and directed by the Swedish auteur, is produced by Memfis Film.

TrustNordisk handles sales outside HBO Europe countries. The 8x45’ show will be the first ever drama series for the acclaimed director of Show Me Love (Fucking Åmål), and Lilya 4-Ever.

Moodysson who directs all eight episodes, said he wants the series to be ‘a mix of comedy and Dostoevsky; as funny as possible and as serious as possible.’ It’s the story of Gösta, a 28-year old child psychologist who gets his first job in a small rural town. He moves from Stockholm and rents a cottage in the middle of the woods. Gösta wants to be the kindest person in the world and help everyone he meets, but it doesn’t always go as planned.   

Memfis Film’s founder Lars Jönsson, long time collaborator to Moodysson said: “It´s a joy and honour to produce HBO Nordic’s first Scandinavian original series. HBO is perfect for Gösta’s wilful mix of comedy and drama.”

Hanne Palmquist Commissioning Editor & VP Original Programming, HBO Nordic said about her first greenlit project: “Gösta is an insightful, fun, multifaceted and bitter-sweet story that says a lot about the time we are living in, in a way only Lukas can say it.”

Antony Root, EVP Original Programming and Production HBO Europe, added: “Lukas’s unique voice has established him as a leading filmmaker both in Sweden and worldwide, and his vision for this series makes it a perfect fit as our first original commission from HBO Nordic. The unlikely hero at its heart will not only be recognisable to our Swedish audience, but will have resonance with our audiences across Europe, and internationally too – everyone will be rooting for Gösta.”

The show will be shot in Sweden in 2018 for an expected premiere in 2019.

HBO Nordic has also backed the development of the eight part Danish drama series Erobreren (Conqueror) produced by SAM Productions with support from the DFI’s Public Service Fund. The screen adaptation of Martin Andersen Nexø’s best-selling novel will be directed by Per Fly based on a script by Rasmus Heisterberg (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, A Royal Affair).