Icelandic-born producer known for work with David Lynch and Kathryn Bigelow to be honored at Locarno

An Icelandic-born producer whose credits include David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, the horror film Candyman and long-running television work tied to Beverly Hills, 90210 is set to receive a prominent spotlight at the Locarno Film Festival, according to a report published Tuesday by The Hollywood Reporter. The interview focuses on how his career has moved across directors, genres and media formats, and on what he says remains nonnegotiable when developing new projects.

In the discussion, the producer is described as the driving force behind collaborations that have shaped mainstream and auteur-driven filmmaking. His body of work spans high-profile cinema and television, including projects associated with Lynch and with Kathryn Bigelow, the outlet says. It also includes work connected to Twin Peaks, another Lynch-linked series that helped define the modern prestige television era, and it references his connection to Beverly Hills, 90210, a program that became a defining television property for teen and family audiences during the 1990s.

The report frames the Locarno appearance as a chance to revisit how those projects were made, and why he continues to approach development from the standpoint of casting and performance. The producer says he will not greenlight a film unless it has a “great actor,” The Hollywood Reporter writes, positioning talent as the core building block before script, tone or genre considerations.

The interview also touches on the practical realities of producing in an era where popular IP is routinely revisited. With Beverly Hills, 90210 referenced in the report, the conversation includes the idea of remakes and continuation projects, and it underscores that despite the familiarity of the property, he still emphasizes fundamentals rather than relying on brand recognition alone.

Locarno’s programming, as described by the outlet, highlights the producer’s role at the intersection of art-house sensibilities and mass-audience formats. That mix, according to the report, is part of why his work has resonated across different segments of the industry, from film audiences to viewers of weekly television drama.

The festival moment is scheduled for this year’s Locarno Film Festival, with The Hollywood Reporter’s report dated August 6, 2026. The next steps for the public are tied to Locarno’s published programming and any events tied to the spotlight, since the outlet’s account centers on the producer’s reflections rather than announcing a specific new production release date.