Nordisk prod'n exec ankles over revamp
Kolvig survived a 1995 shakeup that resulted in the firings of several top managers and a wave of resignations at Nordisk. His notice comes just one month after Timo Lahtinen, chief buyer for Nordisk and also a member of the old management team, said he was leaving.
Both cited the recent restructure of the Egmont Group management as their reason for resigning. Kolvig told Daily Variety, "They have merged all of the smaller companies into one big entity. I can't work that way. I'm afraid I'll lose control of the creative side of the product."
Kolvig was production manager and producer for Oscar-winning "Pelle the Conqueror" during his nine-year tenure at Nordisk, and was responsible for a number of other award-winning productions. He will remain as a consultant on several current projects, including "The High Kings" and "The Brewer," which is a $16 million, 12-part Danish TV series.
Top Nordisk producer Eric Crone, who served under Kolvig for two years, will take over his position.
Following the merger, Nordisk Film and Nordisk Film Distribution were independent companies within the Egmont Group. The latest reorg, which took place in April, left Nordisk Film Production as one of five subdivisions of the Egmont group's broadcast and film production arm Nordisk Film & TV. Nordisk Film Distribution became one of four subdivisions of Egmont Entertainment. Both groups report directly to the parent company.
Ole Timm, president and CEO of Egmont Entertainment, said the restructure was necessary to allow rights to be mined effectively through all windows.
Soroen Jacobsen, president and chief operating officer of Nordisk Film & TV, told Daily Variety that although distribution activities now fall under the Egmont banner, Nordisk Film & TV "will continue to keep the brand name" of the 90-year-old entertainment film giant.
