Movie Adaptation For #MeToo Exposé The Club

Nordisk Film has acquired the film rights to The Club (Klubben), to be adapted by Maren Louise Käehne (Queen Of Hearts) from the acclaimed book by journalist Matilda Voss Gustavsson which details sexual misconduct at an establishment with close ties to the Swedish Academy.

In 2017, Matilda Voss Gustavsson published an exposé that provided fuel for the growing global #MeToo movement. Eighteen women came forward detailing rape, threats and harassment centred around the prestigious Forum club that was popular with members of the Academy.

At the root of the scandal were wide-ranging allegations against photographer Jean-Claude Arnault, married to Academy member Katarina Frostenson. This led to a series of resignations at the Swedish Academy, which subsequently cancelled the Noble Prize for Literature in 2018.

However, the book digs deeper into the Forum club and the concentration of power in the arts and the culture of silence that prevailed. She also details major internal conflicts at the Swedish Academy and the trial of Jean-Claude Arnault that resulted from the allegations.

Scriptwriter Maren Louise Käehne said: “The Club explores the corruption of power and what happens when people are deprived of their voice – both as individuals and as artists. Completely authentic and without falling into tabloid sensationalism, it depicts a landmark in Swedish cultural history.”

“It is a condensed page-turner with drama worthy of a gangster movie. With its complex theme, fascinating arena and captivating characters, The Club contains all the elements I am drawn to as a scriptwriter.”