Top Dog Scan Series Sensation

The first series was a huge hit in Sweden, with a second season already screening on national television.

Swedish-born, local actor, Ricky Carlson, who attends the Marbella Film School, is already turning heads with his performance on the show.

Natalie Rose Kern talks with Top Dog’s award-winning producer, Teresa Allden Willey, about the series, the success of Scandinavian shows... and the Costa del Sol.

N - Firstly, congratulations on the success of Top Dog - I hear that the second season is already a big hit in Sweden. Marbella has a vast Scandinavian ex-pat community who will no doubt already be familiar with the show, but could you tell our readers what it’s about?

T - Top Dog focuses primarily on the clash between Stockholm business attorney Emily Jansson and recently released convict Teddy Maksumic. Emily wants to make her way up in the legal world. Teddy wants to get out of the mafia. It’s a crime thriller in which two completely different worlds collide.

N - The series is based on the ‘Teddy and Emily’ novels by Jens Lapidus - he has written a trilogy. Is it too early to ask if Top Dog 3 is in your sights?

T - To make a third season is the goal. It is the most ‘measurable’ proof that you have made something that people actually think is worth watching. But it always depends on how the viewing figures turn out. Of course, we have thoughts of a grand finale of Top Dog, perhaps even on the Costa del Sol, which would be awesome! And it wouldn’t be too far-fetched because of the large Swedish community there.

N - What was it about this project that appealed to you?

T - I am obsessed with class differences and polarised communities as central themes or arenas, or rather how class and upbringing affect us. This is often the essence of Jens Lapidus’s IP that attracted me when optioning the books back in 2016. Maybe also because I was born with a foot in both worlds.

N - You have a fantastic cast and a sharp script - is there anything in particular that you think has made the show so successful?

T - The cast is phenomenal, two strong stars that are becoming more and more comfortable in their characters, but also the directing. And the talented composer, Vittorio Grasso, has made a soundtrack that really sets the tone.

N - Which aspects of the whole creation process do you enjoy the most?

T - Definitely the editing - that’s where you see how it all turns out. All the decisions are in front of you and it’s time to make the best out of it, “Kill your darlings” as they say...

In the editing, you see the mistakes that you ignored in the script stage - and surprise, surprise - they are still there!

As a producer, it is important to keep the helicopter perspective on the whole story and not just the details. Pace is also an important factor. Sometimes you’ll have a brilliant day on set where everyone is blown away with how awesome a scene was, so you make it longer and shoot takes out of pure joy. But then you sit in the editing room and throw it all away because the pace is too slow. It’s taken me a couple of projects to see just how important it is to see the whole picture.

N - Jens has created characters that are fascinating, flawed, and multidimensional, which truly engages his readers and offers so much richness and depth. The casting process must have been critical to translate these protagonists from page to screen. Talk us through this process

T - Alexej Manvelov, who plays one of the leads, was already in our minds before we even had a script. We had seen him before, often as a supporting actor, but not as a multi-layered, vulnerable leading character. Josefin Asplund who plays Emily, kicked ass in the audition out of several A-list actresses. But first and foremost - they had that all-important chemistry together, which was crucial as the whole story centers around them, an odd couple with strong bonds from very different parts of town.

N - One of Top Dog’s cast members, Ricky Carlson, lives in Marbella and attends the Marbella Film School. Tell us a little about his role and his casting.

T - I have to thank my casting director, Johannes Persson, for finding him. It was a very small part in the beginning- Teddy´s right-hand man- but he managed to make it his own, so his role actually grew quite a bit from what it was in the initial shooting scripts. For example, we were informed that he had singing skills, so the director, Ahmed Abdullahi, thought it would make an unusual and fun characteristic for a classic ‘gangster’ to sing.

...But I’m not giving you any more spoilers than that!

N - We are seeing more and more Scandinavian shows and Nordic Noir gaining an international presence. What do you attribute this to and how do you see this trend progressing?

T - I really hope this golden age will continue! I guess people have broadened their tastes thanks to the heavy quantity of series booming over the past ten years.

We are a part of this revolution

I would also recommend JJ&E, which is a film I produced directly for Netflix (available globally) with the same director as Top Dog, Alexis Almstrom. It centers around a young couple and their first love. The theme resembles Top Dog - Sweden, known as a very equal country, is now facing heavy polarisation, and these two characters represent that.

N - The Swedish community is thriving on the Costa del Sol - I know you also have family ties here. What do you enjoy about our part of the world?

T - Yes, our family home is in Mijas Pueblo, but I have a lot of friends in Marbella, and I am there at least three or four times a year. I love the climate, the people, the international vibe, and the food - especially Andalusian Gazpacho!

My dream is to settle on the Costa del Sol with my kids and make it home for a while.

N - With our stunning landscapes, charming town, and around 350 days of sunshine a year, Marbella is a gorgeous backdrop for the screen and a superb location for shooting.

Plus, with Marbella Film School turning out sensational home-grown and local talent, can we hope to see you filming something here soon?

T - Definitely! The Costa del Sol is a real treasure of locations that is exotic for us Swedes and thrilling to see on screen. I know that there are also new initiatives to attract foreign filmmakers and tax incentives that are appealing - so I am definitely keeping the Costa del Sol and Marbella in mind when scouting new ideas!

N - Finally, any idea if we will be seeing Top Dog on our screens here?

T - I really hope it will be available soon. We are currently working on it with the sales agent - so watch this space...

For your chance to get involved in the world of film and screen and commence your own acting career, The Marbella Film School is hosting two summer camps to fully immerse yourself in the acting process with professionals who are passionate about inspiring new talent and broadening skills and horizons.

3rd - 7th of July for teens and 24th -28th of July for adults

For more information, visit www.marbellafilmschool.com/courses

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