The Hunters (TV series)

Jägarna (English: The Hunters) is a Swedish crime drama TV series, which was broadcast on C More and TV4 from 14 November 2018. The first season of six episodes was filmed in Älvsbyn, Norrbotten County with Jens Jonsson (director) and Johan Lundin directing. It was created by Björn Carlström and Stefan Thunberg who were also its main script writers. Appearing in both seasons, Rolf Lassgård reprises his lead role as Erik Bäckström from Swedish films The Hunters (Jägarna, 1996) and False Trail (a.k.a. The Hunters 2 or Jägarna 2, 2011). Carlström co-wrote both films while Thunberg co-wrote False Trail. Erik is a retired policeman who unofficially investigates a local murder involving mining company boss Markus (Pelle Heikkilä). The second season of six episodes began on 8 March 2021 with Jonsson and Lundin directing and Carlström and Thunberg as main script writers. Erik re-investigates the 2005 murder of a local woman, which Erik had ascribed to her boyfriend Joar (Simon J. Berger). Lassgård is joined across both seasons by Johan Marenius Nordahl, who portrays Erik's nephew and rookie policeman Peter, Annika Nordin, who reprises her False Trail role as Peter's mother Karin, and Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen as Peter's love interest (later wife) Liza.

Cast and characters

 * Rolf Lassgård as Erik Bäckström: Peter's uncle; former Stockholm police detective with National Operations Department (NOD). Retired and returned to hometown Älvsbyn. Owns pet dog, Bella. In 2018, briefly became security chief for North Wolf Mining (NWM), but resigned to unofficially investigate murder of Johannes. In 2020 he re-investigates 2005 murder of Therese, when her convicted killer Joar is released after new evidence is discovered
 * Johan Marenius Nordahl as Peter Bäckström: Erik's nephew, Leif and Karin's son, Liza's partner. Rookie uniform policeman who becomes fully qualified officer. Father of Leah
 * Annika Nordin as Karin Johansson: Peter's mother, Karl's love interest
 * Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen as Liza: Peter's partner. Mother of Leah, becomes bar owner
 * Johannes Kuhnke as Måns Richardsson: Älvsbyn police officer, Peter's supervisor. After his imprisonment he becomes a heavy drinker before Erik recruits him to investigate Joar

Season one only

 * Pelle Heikkilä as Markus Lindmark: Karl's brother, Rebecka's father, NWM boss. Target of assault, death threats
 * Anna Azcárate as Ragnhild: Älvsbyn councillor
 * Ia Langhammer as Sanna Östergren: police chief, Måns and Peter's boss
 * Sampo Sarkola as Karl Lindmark: Markus' brother, Karin's love interest, NWM co-owner
 * Pasi Haapala as Tord: weightlifter, Markus' bodyguard-henchman
 * Albin Grenholm as Benjamin Abrahamsson: sometime poacher, threatens, attacks Markus
 * Amalia Holm (actress) as Rebecka Lindmark: Markus' daughter, stalked by Benjamin
 * Mikael Ersson as Johannes Fresk: Petrographic analyst for Markus' company
 * Josette Simon as Ayanda Moganedi: South African mining CEO, considers investing in NWM

Season two only

 * Simon J. Berger as Joar Särn: Therese's former boyfriend, drug dealer, convicted of Therese's murder in 2005, falsely confesses in 2020, escapes into forest, gets retrial
 * Lena Endre as Niki Thompson: Stockholm-based prosecutor who helped convict Joar, becomes Erik's love interest
 * Ulf Stenberg as Pål Lundkvist: Therese's brother, Cissi's lover, timber mill worker
 * Pablo Leiva Wenger as Sergio: police chief, Peter's boss
 * Maja Rung as Ida Särn: Joar's younger sister, petrol station attendant
 * Jeanette Holmgren as Ylva Östberg: Linus' mother, hunter, timber mill owner
 * Maria Sundström as Therese Lundkvist: 2005 murder victim, Joar's ex-girlfriend
 * Peter Mörlin as Linus Östberg: Ylva's son, timber mill operator, Pål's boss, former national ice hockey aspirant
 * Bert Gradin as Lennart Lundkvist: Therese and Pål's father, Elisabeth's husband
 * Simeon Lindgren as Jallo: timber mill worker, Pål's friend
 * Inger Nilsson as Gunilla Särn: Joar and Ida's mother; implicated Joar in Therese's murder; seriously ill
 * Hugo Florén as Unga (English: "Young") Erik: 14-year-old boy, lives with his brother Lief and their abusive father
 * Ville Florén as Unga (English: "Young") Leif: Erik's younger brother
 * Anna Söderling as Elisabeth Lundkvist: Therese and Pål's mother, Lennart's wife
 * Maria Forslin as Cissi: Linus ex-wife, becomes Pål's lover
 * Leah Berglund as Leah: Peter and Liza's daughter, Erik's grandniece, Karin's granddaughter

Production
Filming of The Hunters (Jägarna) season one began in autumn 2018. It is set and filmed in Älvsbyn and surrounding Norrbotten County, with some interior scenes shot in Stockholm. It was made for C More and TV4 and inspired by two popular Swedish films The Hunters (Jägarna, 1996) and False Trail (a.k.a. The Hunters 2 or Jägarna 2, 2011). Both were directed by Kjell Sundvall, with The Hunters (1996) co-written by Sundvall and Björn Carlström and False Trail was co-written by Carlström and Stefan Thunberg. Carlström and Thunberg co-created the TV series and are its principal scriptwriters with Jens Jonsson (director) and Johan Lundin directing.