Norwegian state broadcaster NRK has commissioned a new drama series that’s coproduced by Cineflix-backed Connect3 Media and depicts the romance between the late Montreal troubadour Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen.

A news release says So Long, Marianne will be coproduced by Montreal prodco Connect3 Media, London-headquartered Buccaneer Media — a Cineflix Media joint venture — and Oslo-based Redpoint Productions AS. Connect3 Media will also facilitate the Canadian elements of the production, which is slated to go to camera in February 2023.

So Long, Marianne is developed by Ingeborg Klyve, Øystein Karlsen and Tony Wood, and written for the screen by Karlsen. The executive producers are Marianne Furevold-Boland for NRK, Buccaneer Media’s Richard Tulk-Hart and Wood, Redpoint’s Karlsen and Klyve, and Connect3 Media’s Pablo Salzman.

The eight x 45-minute series is described as an intimate story about Ihlen and Cohen falling “in love in a period of their life when they are still trying to figure out who they are, and what their place in the world is.” Their journey traverses Oslo, London, New York and Montreal, with the majority of the series set on the Greek island of Hydra, where Cohen and Ihlen lived during the 1960s.

NRK has commissioned the English/Norwegian-language series for Norway and retains the rights to distribute the series in Scandinavia.

“It feels like the way the world is right now, a series that celebrates life and love, with a core about finding your way in life, is needed more than ever,” said Karlsen in a statement.

“Øystein Karlsen has shown in his previous projects that he can create original dramas that are both exciting and emotional. We believe this project has the potential to become a timeless drama with a universal appeal – it is about life and the pursuit of happiness,” added Furevold-Boland and Petter Wallace, head of content commissioning and sales in NRK.

Photo: Musician Leonard Cohen performs during day one of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2009 held at the Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2009 in Indio, California. (Photo by Paul Butterfield/Getty Images)