EXCLUSIVE: LevelK has boarded on sales on Frederik Louis Hviid’s thriller Torpedo, co-written with Tobias Lindholm (Another Round, The Hunt), delving into the world of “torpedoes”, or youngsters groomed by organised crime gangs to do their dirty work.
The deal sees the Copenhagen-based sales company team with Nordic film and TV powerhouse SF Studio. The latter’s Marcella Dichmann is lead producer on the film.
Set in the present day, the film focuses on 16‑year‑old Kian who thinks he had found a quick way to earn money and climb the gang hierarchy by proving he will do whatever is asked of him.
When he is sent to Copenhagen for his first assignment, reality hits hard. Within 24 hours, he is expected to kill a man chosen by his handlers. Backing out is no longer an option. Refusal won’t only put him at risk. It will endanger his family as well.
Hviid points to the fact that although the phenomenon of “torpedoes” is relatively new, it has spread fast throughout Europe.
In April 2025, Swedish authorities launched Operation Grimm, a major international crackdown coordinated with Europol and 10 European countries, including all the Nordic countries, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. This led to 280 arrests worldwide in the first year of operation, while cooperation with major tech companies was deepened. Despite these efforts, the recruitment of young people into violent organised crime today continues to rise.
“To me it has been important to understand what happens when violence is perpetrated by young people who have not chosen to do so and who cannot yet comprehend the consequences of their actions,” said Hvidd.
“It is a matter we have rarely seen in Danish film, and hence the work on Torpedo has required extensive research before we could achieve any measure of truth. The collaboration with Tobias, whom I believe is one of the most trend-setting voices in Danish film, has been both inspiring and essential to give the story the heart and unrelenting realism it demands.”
“With his focus on the scary reality in Denmark, Frederik’s idea for the film moved me greatly,” adds Lindholm. “As evidence from the dark side of the Danish dream, and a rare opportunity to focus on the kids who disappear in the promises and lies of the world of crime.”
Hviid first broke through internationally with his feature film debut Shorta, which debuted in Venice Critics’ Week and then sold worldwide.
He has since built a reputation one of known Denmark’s most uncompromising directors with the award-winning TV series Prisoner (2023) and most recently with The Quiet Ones (2024) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
One of Denmark’s most award-winning and internationally acclaimed screenwriters and directors, Lindholm’s writing credits include Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar-winning Another Round and The Commune, while his directors credits feature A Hijacking, TV mini-series The Investigation and Netflix-backed The Good Nurse with Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne, for which he also wrote the screenplays.
“Frederik and Tobias have an exceptional ability to turn fear, paralysis and split‑second decisions into gripping, cinematic moments. This is exactly what a story like Torpedo demands,” says LevelK CEO Tine Klint. “Their deep understanding of criminal environments, paired with a rare emotional precision, gives the film a raw authenticity. As a director, Frederik developed a distinctive cinematic voice that never moralises and never simplifies. He lets the audience feel the world from the inside.”
“Torpedo is a film which has evolved from a deep concern for our children and youngsters,” adds Dichmann.
“It is a painful story, but a necessary one. As a producer – and as a mother – I feel a strong need to create a space for reflection and understanding. It is fiction, but fiction which is frighteningly close to the reality of our daily lives. The ambition is to make a touching and thrilling film that will stay with us long after the lights are turned on in the theatre.”
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