Netflix's "gripping" new detective drama based on "legendary" Jo Nesbø books gets first-look trailer

Netflix has dropped an intense trailer for its upcoming adaptation Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole, which boasts a cast led by familiar faces from The Last Kingdom and Apple TV's For All Mankind.

Harry Hole (Tobias Santelmann) is a Norwegian sleuth featured in more than a dozen novels by the prolific author, including The Bat, The Snowman and, most recently, 2023's Killing Moon.

The character previously made a botched live-action debut in 2017's film adaptation of The Snowman, where he was played by Michael Fassbender. Unfortunately, the feature got a brutal drubbing by critics and flopped at the box office.

It would be fair to say, then, that the bar has been set rather low for this redux, but Netflix's Detective Hole looks to clear it confidently with its faithful and atmospheric approach. For starters, they actually cast a Norwegian in the lead role!

Santelmann is probably best known to UK-based viewers from The Last Kingdom, playing the noble warrior Ragnar across the first three seasons of the historical drama.

In Detective Hole season 1, which is based on the novel The Devil's Star, he'll be facing off against For All Mankind and Peacemaker star Joel Kinnaman, who plays corrupt cop Tom Waaler – you can see both in action in the first-look trailer here:

"Harry Hole isn't just another detective – he is a character readers around the world have lived with for almost 30 years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to bring him to the screen," said Santelmann.

"I approached this role with deep respect for Jo Nesbø's work and for the audience that has followed Harry for so long... I hope we’ve created something that feels true to the spirit of the books while also standing on its own."

Co-star Kinnaman commented: "Filming in Oslo, the city so deeply woven into Jo Nesbø's novels, brings an authenticity to the series that's impossible to replicate.

"Collaborating closely with Jo to explore this darker side of Harry’s world has been a rewarding creative experience, and I'm so proud to help bring this story to the screen."

There's more star power behind-the-scenes too, with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – of moody rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – serving as composers. They recently scored The Death of Bunny Munro, based on Cave's novel.

Detective Hole is coming to Netflix on Thursday 26 March 2026. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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