Clark Olofsson is not a widely known figure in the States, but for three decades he was Sweden’s answer to John Dillinger. With his daring criminal lifestyle and charismatic personality, Olofsson captured the public’s imagination and eventually became the most infamous celebrity in the country. Now, his story is coming to Netflix with “Clark,” a series tracking Olofsson’s professional career from the mid-1960s through the 1980s. Based on details from his autobiography, the show will reportedly combine fact and fiction to create a comprehensive and entertaining look at one of the 20th century’s most notorious criminals.
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Olofsson is the kind of character any actor would kill to play, and the filmmakers have made a wise choice in casting the talented Bill Skarsgård (“It,” “Nine Days”) in the titular role. The part demands a certain combination of danger and charm, and Skarsgård’s edgy good looks have not exactly gone under the radar with the internet community.
Here’s the series’ official synopsis:
“The fictional drama series Clark follows the man behind the expression ‘The Stockholm syndrome’ on his life journey as he fooled all of Sweden to fall in love with him, despite several counts of drug trafficking, attempted murder, assault, theft and dozens of bank robberies. Based on the truths and lies revealed in Clark Olofsson’s autobiography, the series provides a fictional take on one of the most controversial personalities in contemporary Swedish history.”
From the trailer, “Clark” looks like an adrenaline-fueled combination of “Blow” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The director, Jonas Åkerlund, has had a long and prolific career making music videos for pop superstars like Madonna and Beyoncé, but this is his first major outing in long-form narrative television. (He previously directed several features, including 2019’s “Polar” for Netflix). Besides Skarsgård, the main cast also includes Alicia Agneson (“Vikings”) and Vilhem Blomgren (“Midsommar”).
“Clark” is set to arrive on Netflix in early spring. Check out the trailer below.