Watch the Trailer for Netflix's 'Young Wallander' Prequel
Get ready, mystery fans - a prequel to the popular Wallander mystery series is coming - and will be arriving on Netflix sooner than you think.
Entitled simply Young Wallander, the six-part series aims to tell the story of Kurt Wallander as he takes on his first case and the formative experiences - both professional and personal - that result. Almost immediately after graduating from the police academy, he witnesses a brutal crime and is pulled into solving it under the wing of superintendent Hemberg.
Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh played Wallander for four seasons from 2008-2016, all of which aired on PBS' Masterpiece. Swedish actor Adam Pålsson will take over as younger version of the famous detective in the Netflix prequel and will be joined by Argo’s Richard Dillane, Black Mirror’s Leanne Best, and Poldark's Elise Chappell.
To be fair, Wallander isn't exactly the sort of character one might initially peg for a prequel - so much of the original show dealt with the detective's dark personal demons alongside the cases he solved that it feels almost retread-ish to dig back even further into this past. Which, if the series' trailer is to be believed looks just as disturbing as the present-day version.
The clip is awash in dramatically bright streaks of color with an electronica backing track - in short, it doesn't look much like the Wallander we remember. But it does look as though it might be fun to watch.
Prequel series have been all the rage lately, ever since Endeavour proved the format could reinvigorate classic characters and narratives for new audiences. Granted, outside of the aforementioned Inspector Morse prequel, these efforts haven't been terribly successful. (Remember Prime Suspect: Tennison, anyone?) But hope springs eternal, apparently.
Young Wallander will begin streaming on Netflix on September 3.
Are you interested in the idea of a Wallander prequel? Why or why not? Let's discuss in the comments.
