Netflix has released the first official trailer for Clark, a new Swedish series starring Bill Skarsgård as Clark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish bank Robber responsible for the phrase Stockholm Syndrome. The trailer hints at a lighthearted take on the enigmatic gangster, a giant leap from the role of creepy sewer-dwelling Pennywise, Skarsgård's most widely known performance.
The first trailer for the Swedish Netflix series, Clark, has been released, and for a series about a bank robber, it is surprisingly cool and funny. The series, set to appear on Netflix sometime this year, is "based on the truths and lies" of criminal Clark Olofsson’s autobiography and the trailer is chock-full of '70s nostalgia and fun.
The Swedish series, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, explores the early life and crimes of Olofsson, who began robbing banks at the age of 16 but would gain fame in 1973 when hostages taken during a bank robbery defended him to the police and asked that he be allowed to leave peacefully. This incident led to academic studies and would result in the coining of the phrase Stockholm Syndrome. The newly released Clark trailer focuses on the cool, yet strange and ridiculous individual behind this incident. Skarsgård, most widely known for playing Pennywise, seems to fall into the role quite easily as he runs, smirks, and winks his way through the trailer. While the underlying subject is dark, the Clark trailer hints that the film will focus on the man behind the crimes in an almost cartoonish type of way, which is very different from Skarsgård's most popular role.
Skarsgård has openly discussed how the iconic role of Pennywise affected him long after the role ended. The Swedish-born actor confessed he may have spent a little too much time in the mind of the serial killer clown and began having haunting dreams about him. Skarsgård claims the role exhausted him both physically and mentally. It seems the more lighthearted caricature of Olofsson portrayed in the Clark trailer will be a welcomed change for the actor after adapting the iconic Stephen King character for the screen in two films. If the trailer is any indication, it appears Skarsgård owned the role of the mysterious gangster, and it appears he had a lot of fun doing it.
Åkerlund described the story of Clark as "ultra-violent, witty, emotional, real and surreal" and called Skarsgård a "perfect match" for it. While most often attached to his role as Pennywise, Skarsgård has been acting since the age of 10, and he's joined the cast of John Wick 4, set to release in 2023, so it is safe to assume he has the acting chops to pull off the role.
Clark will be available to stream soon on Netflix.
Source: Netflix