‘Pressure Point’ Producer Art & Bob, Breakable Films Join Forces in CoStudios, Backed by H&M Heir Tom Persson (EXCLUSIVE)

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Recently, two prominent content creation companies in Scandinavia, Sweden’s leading production houses Art & Bob and Breakable Films with a focus on streaming, have merged under a new media company called CoStudios. This new entity is owned by the private investment group C0_Made, which belongs to Tom Persson, an heir of the H&M fashion empire.

Third Ear Studio, a Scandinavian podcast production company, is also merging with the two film and TV production groups.

Art & Bob, a well-established production company, has gained recognition for its latest projects. Most recently, they are known for the critically acclaimed realistic prison drama “Pressure Point,” led by David Dencik, which won the prestigious Nordic Series Script Award in Göteborg and the mini-series “Dreaming of England” written by Lisa Ambjörn (“The Young Royals”). At present, they are working on Netflix’s first period drama, “The New Force,” scheduled to debut in 2026.

In the past few years, I’ve been part of Breakable Films, a four-year-old production company established by Viktor Linnell and Mikael Ljung. This dynamic team has swiftly left an indelible impression on the Nordic scripted market, producing a variety of films and series catering to the streaming generation. Among our creations are “One More Time”, a dramedy feature that was globally released on Netflix in April 2023, and “Out of Touch”, which was selected for the Berlinale Series Market 2023 and has since been sold to multiple territories by REinvent.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve taken on the role of co-CEO alongside Azra Osmancevic at CoStudios, based in Stockholm. Azra, with her impressive background as the ex-CEO of Third Ear Studio and a specialist IP lawyer at Mannheimer Swartling, is an inspiring partner to work with. Meanwhile, Magnus Ljung, who previously led development at Breakable Films, will be overseeing our studio’s broader content strategy. This dynamic team setup promises exciting times ahead!

In their shared announcement, the three leaders of CoStudios expressed their intention to prioritize safeguarding intellectual property rights and coordinating their application consistently across various business sectors, both inside and beyond the organization.

In the revised structure, Art & Bob, along with Breakable and Third Ear Studios, will independently carry on with their distinctive identities. Over time, they’ll begin to align strategies in a coordinated manner.

Linnell, Osmancevic, and Ljung recently launched Co-Studios. Their immediate focus is to evaluate each of their companies, analyze market trends, and create a strategic plan aimed at achieving our financial goals as a group in the upcoming years, as they shared with EbMaster. In the future, they envision a collaborative environment between Art & Bob, Breakable, and Third Ear Studios, facilitating talent and personnel exchange, as well as shared approaches to intellectual property within the broader CoStudios framework.

Art and Bob have multiple ventures currently under financial development, which initially stemmed from the Third Ear podcast series. Our aim is to further expand upon these projects while ensuring a smooth transition of rights across various mediums as they evolve.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m excited to share our game plan for CoStudios. We’re zeroing in on acquiring and speeding up the development of established intellectual properties that have left an indelible mark on the Nordic region. These treasured works deserve to be safeguarded and passed down to future generations. With a robust financial backing, our team’s extensive experience in rights management, brand development, and legal acumen, we’re well-equipped to foster long-term growth that is both stable and sustainable. In essence, our goal is ambitious yet straightforward: we aim to build a cutting-edge media company for the next generation.

For Ozmancevic, the strategy of CoStudios, which involves combining intellectual property rights vertically, is fitting within the current Nordic environment and transforming global media landscape. She explained, “The manner in which content is created for films, television, and podcasts is swiftly changing. By making thoughtful acquisitions and adopting new technology, we can capitalize on these advancements and fortify our rights, brands, and production companies for the future.

“The Little Ghost Godfrey” 

Showing their ambitious intentions and financial strength, CoStudios recently revealed they have purchased Tre Sandberg, a well-known Swedish company that holds the rights to Inger and Lasse Sandberg’s cherished children’s books and characters. Notable among these are “The Little Ghost Godfrey” (also known as “Lilla Spöket Laban” or “The Little Ghost Laban”), “Little Anna”, and “The Tall Uncle.

Lilla Spöket Laban” (Little Ghost Laban) and his companions are a cherished and significant piece of Swedish cultural legacy, according to Ljung. The IP, whose latest film adaptation remained at the top of Netflix’s children’s chart in Sweden for more than a year, was praised by him. He expressed excitement about maintaining and growing the captivating characters conceived by the Sandberg family while also working on developing the rights business to keep Inger and Lasse’s creations thriving for future generations.

In Dan Lunqvist’s words, representing Tre Sandberg, he expressed that it seemed perfectly fitting for CoStudios to acquire the rights to the storytelling legacy of Inger and Lasse Sandberg. He mentioned that Viktor, Azra, and Mikael from CoStudios share the same values as Tre Sandberg, and this mutual understanding was evident from their initial encounter. Dan expressed his faith that CoStudios will manage the rights thoughtfully and create captivating stories and characters for future audiences. The Sandberg family expresses gratitude for 60 years of collaboration with the rights and looks forward to witnessing how CoStudios continues this legacy.

Based in Stockholm, the private organization Co_Made invests in numerous storytelling companies spanning television, film, extended reality (XR), and other media platforms. Among these investments are Garagefilm, known for productions like “The Hypnosis” and “Painkiller”, Penrose Studios, and Warpin Media.

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2025-02-18 11:47