The lead cast of the upcoming thriller The Hypnotist was announced today at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Finnish actor Tobias Zilliacus will play the part of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, and Mikael Persbrandt ("In a Better World", "The Hobbit") plays the part of the hypnotist Dr. Erik Maria Bark. His wife Simone will be played by Lena Olin ("Remember Me", "Chocolat"). The film will be directed by internationally acclaimed director Lasse Hallström ("My Life as a Dog", "Salmon Fishing in The Yemen", "The Cider House Rules"), helming a Swedish film for the first time in 24 years.

Principal shooting starts in January 2012 and the national theatrical release is planned for October 2012.

The Hypnotist is based on the international bestseller (2009) by pseudonym author Lars Kepler (Alexander Ahndoril och Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril). The novel has been a smash hit internationally and sold over 600.000 copies in Sweden only.