“It’s a whole world,” says Magnús Scheving when he takes some time for a short chat after showing a few tricks on the dance floor of the Icelandic School of Art and Dance at Engjateig. A whole day has been spent introducing LazyTown to new Sportacusses to make them realize that this is not just some TV show from a small country in the North Atlantic, but much more. Fréttablað was allowed to observe the training camp of the new Sportacus, which was allegedly managed by Magnús himself.
Magnus known as Sportacus
For fourteen years, Magnús Scheving has managed the company behind LazyTown with tireless work, building it almost from scratch, and no job was so impossible that he couldn’t run for it. Accordingly, he has worn the almost inhumanly hot outfit of Sportacus and jumped and bounced between continents, while also taking the time to sign multi-million television contracts with large companies and television giants such as the BBC. Now LazyTown has become so big that Magnús has to step down from his role as Sportacus and focus even more on the growth of LazyTown. And let others do the work to educate children about the importance of healthy exercise and nutrition. He clearly cares that those who succeed him aren’t just a bunch of loafers, and sets high standards for them.
Julian from Great Britain and James Royce Edwards from the United States look in amazement at Magnús as he runs from one room to another in LazyTown’s headquarters in Garðabær. Julian is to play Sportacus in the LazyTown live show that will be staged in the UK, and James will be a special Sportacus in the United States. Magnús explains to them what his role is in the production. “Here, I direct the shows, run up this staircase [which is very steep] to look at the scene, then go and cut them, speak and eat at the same time. And then, of course, managing the company,” Magnús says, and Julian and James are obviously relieved that they “only” have to play Sportacus and not be Magnús for a whole day.
The future is bright
And despite the fact that the last series is now scheduled to be shown on television in over a hundred countries, there is no way to close the shop. More often than not. LazyTown’s show is already being shown to full houses in several South American countries and the previously mentioned show at London’s West End is on the way, where LazyTown is very popular in that country.
Last but not least is the big surprise: a feature film. Magnús did not want to reveal much about the film, but filming is scheduled to begin next year. “We are finishing the financing now, so I don’t want to comment on the state of affairs.” The Fréttablað’s sources claim that numerous big names from Hollywood have shown great interest in this and that it will be much bigger and more extensive than the shows themselves.
And when Magnús steps onto the dance floor in Engjateigi, it’s clear that he’s not going to let go of Sportacus until he’s completely satisfied. He steps in with the new Sportacusses to the best-selling song Bing Bang and watches carefully in the mirror to see if the successors can imitate this. The day, which began as soon as the sun rose, is just beginning, and there are tireless exercises ahead, so that the mission of Sportacus is definitely in the right hands.
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