How a Netflix series about the Swedish monarchy became an international sensation
There are certain genres of film that are born to be remade – from the James Bond franchise, to the Fast And Furious franchise, to the Lord Of The Rings. And now, there are a number of different films about the Swedish government, some of it very successful, others more or less forgotten, and still more that are now in the public domain.
One such “unfilmable” film about Swedish royalty is The Crown, released in the US in 2016. It’s a Netflix original about the Swedish royal family, and based on novels written by Swedish author Anna-Carina Ekström, one of the most famous children’s authors. The Crown is arguably one of the most popular Netflix series anywhere, and for a good reason.
Anna-Carina Ekström
The Crown is a period piece, but the writing is not really original. Anna-Carina Ekström wrote a book as the Swedish queen, but it was almost a different type of story. One of the central narratives in The Crown is a love triangle between three members of the royal family, and based on what happened in real life, this is one of the best storylines to come out of fiction for a while.
The Crown had its genesis in the life of Anna-Carina Ekström, although it didn’t really come together until she was writing it. She began her career as a novelist, writing fairy tales for children. But while writing fairy tales, Ekström wanted to also write real stories, so she decided to switch genres and start writing history. She got approval to do it, and she later moved from writing fairy tales to writing historical fiction.
She began researching the Swedish royal family, creating her own theories about the real story of the Swedish royal family. And while she was doing all of this she was also having an intense love affair with her cousin, her future husband, King Gustav III.
It all came together in her writing The Crown. According to Ekström, the only problem was that there was no Swedish equivalent to what she described as the “perfect love story for a series.” She says that she couldn’t come up with one that really resonated with people. It really was the hardest thing she ever had to do,
