Apple TV unveils splashy adaptation of Nordics’ Pernille

Apple TV is remaking Nordic drama Pernille (aka Pørni), with Australia’s Made Up Stories and Israel’s Keshet International producing, and Toni Collette set to star.

The global streamer’s version will be known as Lenni and sees Collette taking the role of the tituar character, a divorced social worker who tries to protect her loved ones from the rough-and-tumble of life after suffering a family tragedy.

Dearbhla Walsh, known for Apple TV’s Bad Sisters and Margo’s Got Money Troubles, is directing and Australian writer Sarah Scheller (The Letdown) is leading the adaptation.

Other cast include Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Dan Wyllie (Love My Way), Josh McKenzie (La Brea), Celeste Barber (The Letdown), Genevieve Hegney (Colin From Accounts), Arka Das (The Airport Chaplain) and Wayne Blair (Total Control).

Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky of Nine Perfect Strangers’ producer Made Up Stories are EPs, alongside Katie Amos, Avi Nir, Keren Shahar, Scheller, Walsh and Collette.

Pernille creator Henriette Steenstrup, who also starred in Netflix’s first international original Lilyhammer, also serves as an EP alongside the original show’s producer Bård Fjulsrud and Tanya Badendyck.

Apple TV’s greenlight comes five years after Steenstrup’s original show debuted on Nordic streamer Viaplay. It was produced by Fremantle-owned Norwegian label Monster, whose scripted division was merged with Miso Film at the end of last year.

Pernille was distributed by Keshet International (KI), which sold the series to buyers including Netflix, HBO Max in Lat Am and Spanish streamer Filmin TV.

Apple TV and Keshet International have worked on numerous shows together, including Israeli drama Unconditional, Echo 3, based on Keshet Studios’ English-language remake of When Heroes Fly, and Suspicion, the remake of False Flag from Keshet UK.

Production on Lenni is underway in Sydney, Australia, supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund.