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'Beartown': Release date, plot, cast, trailer, news and all you need to know about Swedish HBO drama

'Beartown' is based on a novel of the same name by Fredrik Backman, and charts the residents of a small town after the ice-hockey hero is accused of sexual abuse

'Beartown', a Swedish five-episode mini-series, will premiere on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max as well. The show is based on author Fredrik Backman's novel of the same name. Backman has also written 'A Man Called Ove', 'Anxious People' among others. The show also sees the New York Times Bestseller author serve as the executive producer of the show. 

The Swedish title is the latest international program made available to HBO’s US subscribers and joins Max Originals such as 'Valley of Tears', 'Gomorrah', 'Arthur's Law', HBO Europe’s '30 Coins' and 'Patria' and classics from the HBO Max library including 'City of God', 'Cinema Paradiso' and 'Life is Beautiful'.

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Release date:

'Beartown' will premiere on February 22 at 9 pm EST on HBO and can also be streamed on HBO Max. 

Plot

According to the official press site, 'Beartown' centers on a floundering community in Sweden that places its dreams of revitalization on the teenage shoulders of its junior ice hockey team. Boosted by their new professional-athlete-turned-coach Peter (Ulf Stenberg) and rising star Kevin (Oliver Dufåker), the boys finally have a shot at securing a national title – until a violent act threatens to destroy Beartown entirely. Chilling and honest, the series explores family trauma, teenage romance, truths and lies, actions and consequences, and ultimately, the courage it takes to go against the group and stand up for justice.

Cast

'Beartown' stars Ulf Stenberg, Aliette Opheim, Tobias Zilliacus, Miriam Ingrid and Oliver Dufåker in lead roles. The show also sees Otto Fahlgren, Alfons Nordberg, Erik Lundqvist, Rasmus Karlsson, Najdat Rustom, Jacob Nordenson, Charlotta Jonsson, Sanna Niemi, Lukas Wetterberg, Frida Sandberg, Mikael Odhag, Anna Azcárate, Tomas Bergström, Einar Bredefeldt and Gustav Lindh in supporting characters. 

Director

The show is directed by Peter Grönlund who debuted as a filmmaker with 'Drifters', and in 2017, his film 'Goliath' was produced by B-Reels Production and then released in 2018. Speaking about filming the movie, Grönlund spoke about working on his film and said, “I started working on ‘Goliath’ five years ago (…) with the idea of making a film about contemporary Sweden and people who live on the margins. I’ve always been interested in films exploring social heritage and drawing intimate portrayals of characters."

Trailer

The trailer of 'Beartown' gives a glimpse of what happens to a girl who reveals that she was sexually harassed by the hero of the town. The teenager seems to have gone out for a date with the ice hockey star, and despite her pleas of no, he seems to have molested her - the premise is about who supports the girl and who doesn't. This is the aftermath of calling out sexual harassers and molesters and the chilling truth that the show may address is whether her own father can be on her side.

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