Summit Entertainment to Film English Language Adaptation of Headhunters by Jo Nesbo

Last February we reported that the US distribution rights of the Norwegian language film adaptation of Jo Nesbø's art caper thriller Hodejegerne (Headhunters) had been acquired by Magnolia Films. (The film opens in Norway on August 26th, 2011; no US release date has yet been scheduled.)

Now we're learning that Summit Entertainment has optioned the US film rights to the book, and intends to produce an English language adaptation in association with Yellow Bird Films, which is probably best known to American audiences as the production company behind the Swedish language adaptations of Steig Larsson's novels.

Hodejegerne, originally published in 2008, introduces a new character, the charming villain Roger Brown, a man who seems to have it all: he is Norway's most successful headhunter, married to the beautiful gallery owner Diana, owns a magnificent house — and is living larger than he should. Meanwhile, he is playing at the dangerous game of art theft. At a gallery opening, his wife introduces him to the Dutchman Clas Greve. Not only is Greve the perfect candidate for the CEO position of the GPS company Pathfinder that Roger Brown is recruiting for; he is also in possession of "The Calydonian Boar Hunt" by Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most sought-after paintings in modern art history. Roger sees his chance to become financially independent, and starts planning his biggest hit ever. But soon, he runs into trouble — and it's not financial problems that are threatening to knock him over this time …

Headhunters has not yet been published in the US — indeed, we don't even think it's been published anywhere in English, though a German edition was published in 2008 — but soon will be. Vintage Crime is scheduled to publish a trade paperback edition of the book this September.

(Source: TwitchFilm.)