Behold your exclusive premiere glimpse of Tuppence Middleton in "Blood Cruise," the gripping horror-drama collaboration between SVT and CBS Studios, set to make waves at this week's Series Mania. Today's captivating visuals also feature Middleton, renowned for her roles in "Downton Abbey" and "Sense8," alongside Björn Bengtsson of "An Ordinary Family" and "The Last Kingdom," with co-star Kolbjörn Skarsgård, and an ensemble that boasts Marika Lagercrantz, Orlando Wahlsteen, and Lissa Edil.
"Blood Cruise" (alternatively titled "The Cruise"), crafted for Swedish broadcaster SVT, unfurls the tale of a cruise liner where passengers and crew must unite to combat a harrowing malevolence that has been unleashed upon their decks. Rooted in Mats Strandberg's novel, this chilling narrative emanates from Sweden's Northern Fable and Imaginarium Productions—the UK-based outfit helmed by "Lord of the Rings" star Andy Serkis. It is co-produced with Scandinavian broadcasters DR, NRK, RUV, and YLE, with financial backing from the Nordic Film & TV Fund. Paramount Global Content Distribution is tasked with introducing this series beyond Sweden's borders.
Strandberg and Malin LagerLöf pen the script, under the visionary direction of Jonas Alexander Arnby. Alexander Rönnberg of Northern Fable and Will Tennant of Imaginarium serve as producers, with Jonathan Cavendish and Phil Robertson executive producing for Imaginarium, Sonja Hermele and Johanna Gårdare executing the same duties for SVT, and Lindsey Martin and Dave Clarke overseeing for CBS Studios.
The narrative unfolds: "The Baltic Charisma promises a dream cruise for all: families, friends, lovers – yet this voyage is destined to transform into a waking nightmare… Amidst the revelry that peaks in the dead of night, passengers confront an ancient evil. Stranded in icy waters, help is unreachable, and escape is futile. Can this disparate group of travelers unify to vanquish the looming peril? Who can they entrust, and how far will they go to survive?"
The stellar ensemble encompasses Middleton, Bengtsson, Jessica Grabowsky, Lagercrantz, Arvin Kananian, Thomas Hanzon, Scott Arthur, and Christopher Wagelin. A work-in-progress screening of the series premiered at Göteborg Film Festival's TV Vision sidebar, and it will once again captivate audiences this morning at Lille's Series Mania during the Sweden & Finland Showcase.
"From my initial encounter with the novel, 'Blood Cruise' shone as a singular fusion of Scandinavian drama and hair-raising horror," expressed Northern Fable's Rönnberg. Imaginarium's Tennant hailed the assemblage of "exceptional European talent," while director Arnby reminisced, "Crafting 'Blood Cruise' has been a breathtaking challenge, blending the horror genre with an intense Scandinavian relational drama."
The Series Mania Forum begins today and concludes on Thursday, March 27.
