The next season of the award-winning drama series about the oil adventure in Stavanger will cover the years from 1987 to 1990.
– We are almost finished telling this story about Norway. We look forward to showing how the characters we’ve grown so fond of are doing, and how they manage to adapt to developments in a new era, says Synnøve Hørsdal. She is the producer and managing director of Maipo Film, which produces “Lykkeland” for NRK.
– This is really good news for the TV viewers! “Lykkeland” has been a formidable success on NRK, both as a personal drama and as a picture of Norway. That we will now be able to continue this story is simply fantastic, says editor at NRK Drama, Marianne Furevold-Boland.
The main characters will be the same as in the previous seasons. Some new, bigger roles will also be added.
Filming will start in March 2023.
Malene Wadel (left) and Anne Regine Ellingsæter play the main characters Toril and Anna in “Lykkeland” in the upcoming season as well.
Photo: Maipo Film/TV
Yappetid and Mongstad bang
Season 2 of “Lykkeland” ended with the depiction of the Alexander Kielland disaster in 1980. In the next season, we find ourselves in 1987 when we again meet Anna, Toril, Christian and the other main characters.. Statoil is running on the budget of the times in the Mongstad development. The automation of the drilling rigs is in full swing, and there are swarms of newly started companies that want to supply the technology for this. It is now that people are really making big money in the oil industry, despite recessions elsewhere. It is also at this time that some of the pioneers among the North Sea divers discover that they are ill.
In 1990, the Statens Pensjonsfond Abroad, called the Oil Fund, was established.
“Lykkeland” won two awards during the series festival in Cannes in 2018.
Photo: Helene Amlie / NRK
International success
The previous seasons of “Lykkeland” have been very well received by reviewers and the public. The series has won a number of awards at home and abroad, including during the TV festival in Cannes and Gullruten in 2019 and 2022. Television companies in over 60 countries have bought the rights to show the series.
On NRK, the first season was seen by close to 1.3 million viewers. On average, over 920,000 have watched each episode of Lykkeland 2 so far.
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The first season, with action from 1969-1972, was broadcast on NRK in autumn 2018. Season 2, which premiered in the new year 2022, covered the years 1977-1980. Both seasons can still be seen on NRK TV.
Mette M. Bølstad is the screenwriter for the upcoming season, as she was also for Lykkeland 1 and 2. Petter Næss is the conceptual director.
The biggest roles in Lykkeland 3 are played by Anne Regine Ellingsæter, Malene Wadel, Paal Herman Ims, Pia Tjelta, Per Kjerstad, Laila Goody, Ole Christoffer Ertvaag and Mads Sjøgård Pettersen. In addition, there will be new actors in larger roles who will be announced later.
The children in “Lykkeland” have aged seven years, and will soon be replaced by new actors. Here Toril (Malene Wadel) and Christian (Paal Herman Ims) with their children Marius (Ask Henrik Oftebro) and baby Marie in season 2.
Photo: Ieva Jura / Maipo Film/NRK
Looking for young actors
The production company Maipo is now starting to look for actors for the youngest roles in the next season, including Anna’s twins as well as Toril’s son Marius and daughter Marie. It concerns four major roles and a supporting role for children and young people aged 6 to 21. Everyone must speak the Stavanger dialect.
More about the roles and how to apply can be read here:
Lykkeland is looking for children and young people for season 3
Pia Tjelta won the Golden Route 2022 for her role as Ingrid Nyman. In season 3, we get to follow her further.
Photo: Julie Hrncirova / Maipo Film/NRK
