Emma Higgins and Herman Tømmeraas dig into fandom, fear, and fixation in Sweetness.
Emma Higgins is still bracing for the moment her inner circle finally watches Sweetness. The film premiered at SXSW, but that festival run came with a certain shelter. “South by is an amazing festival, but it’s kind of like we only had a few screens,” she said. “There was this small group of people who got to see it.”
Now, the movie has moved beyond that Texas crowd. With Sweetness arriving on Digital and On Demand via Saban Films, Higgins said the scale feels different — and more personal. “Now, like, the whole world will get to see it,” she said, adding that even her family still had not seen it yet. Then she laughed at what comes next: “Now I have to, like, face my friends and family and loved ones and reveal my true sick nature.”
That blend of humor and honesty matches the film itself, which follows a superfan who decides she must save her rock star idol from addiction. However, her compassion curdles into control. When her plan spirals, she kidnaps him in a delusional attempt to “fix” him. What starts as love becomes captivity.
Sweetness is written and directed by Higgins and stars Kate Hallett, Herman Tømmeraas, Aya Furukawa, Justin Chatwin, Steven Ogg, and Amanda Brugel.
How Herman Tømmeraas Became the Rock Star at the Center
Higgins said Tømmeraas came onto her radar through her casting team. “I think it was Matt Lasel in L.A. … he was just like, ‘You should really check this guy out. He’s amazing. I think he’d be great,’” she said. Higgins watched his work, agreed, and “the rest is history.”
Tømmeraas, known to many fans for Netflix’s Ragnarok, leaned into the rock star role like it was a long-delayed wish finally granted. “It was the child within me that’s always wanted to be on stage,” he said. He grew up dancing and singing, and he has done musicals, but he had never had the chance to go full rock performer with a band. Sweetness gave him that opening.
He described the job as the kind of yes-you-jump opportunity: “When this opportunity presented itself with a beautiful script, fantastic cast, and Emma being a genius and I got to be a rock star, I had to get it.”
The character’s look also became a shared build between actor and filmmaker. Tømmeraas said the team talked through clothes, hair, makeup, nail polish, rings, and accessories, then started discussing tattoos. A joke turned into a real choice. “I think one of us said as a joke, ‘And a tramp stamp,’ and then everyone kind of went, ‘That’s great,’” he said. Later, the idea came back for real. “It has kind of marinated. We like the tramp stamp,” he recalled. “Yes, we did.”
Higgins leaned into the bit, too, teasing that audiences might copy it: “You’re gonna see a wave of people getting their tramp stamps,” she said.
Finding a Tone That Isn’t a Typical Thriller
Moreover, Higgins said the tone was the part she prized most, because it refuses easy labels. “It’s something that’s hard often for people to put in a box,” she said. That was intentional. She wanted darkness and absurdity to sit next to earnest emotion. “I do have a dark sense of humor, and there is a little bit of absurdity in this situation,” she said. “But there’s a lot of earnestness and true heart and humanity at the same time.”
Because Sweetness was made outside the studio system, Higgins said she had room to chase that blend without sanding off the edges. “It was my first film,” she said, crediting supportive producers and the freedom of a lower-budget approach. The team kept calibrating where the line belonged, and she pointed to postproduction choices as a major key. “A lot of that is with the edit, the music choices, things like that,” she said.
The Real-World Roots of Celebrity Obsession
Additionally, the film lands in a moment when fandom can feel louder, faster, and more possessive than ever. Higgins pointed to the culture surrounding celebrity gossip and entitlement. She referenced headline-driven obsession, including the notoriety of the Bling Ring story and the online echo chamber created by gossip ecosystems.
She also remembered witnessing fan intensity up close while growing up in Vancouver, where major productions drew crowds. When the Twilight movies were filmed there, she said, people went to extremes to snap photos. “The lengths people would go to get photos of that cast on set was insane,” she said.
For Tømmeraas, fame has shown a gentler face. He said fans who approach him have typically been respectful. “My experience … they’re all very respectful and positive,” he said. He called it “a fun little confidence boost,” then noted that his experience remains smaller than what global superstars face daily. “I still get to be left alone quite a lot,” he said, before describing the moments of recognition as a friendly “high five.”
Herman Tømmeraas Eyes Harry Osborn in the MCU
As the conversation shifted from Sweetness to what could be next, one name immediately sparked excitement: Harry Osborn.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuing to evolve its Spider-Man corner following Spider-Man: No Way Home with Brand New Day and beyond, the door remains wide open for a new version of Peter Parker’s complicated best friend. And Herman Tømmeraas is more than ready.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked about joining the MCU. “I’ve always been into superhero films, and I do love Spider-Man quite a lot. And Harry Osborn would be… yeah, I think that would be a quite twisted character I would love to dig into.”
Tømmeraas admitted he had not previously zeroed in on Harry specifically, even though Spider-Man had always been a childhood favorite. “As a kid, I was like, I’m gonna do Spider-Man,” he said, before realizing Harry Osborn might be the more layered, psychologically rich path.
That “twisted” element is key. Harry Osborn is not just Peter Parker’s best friend. He is a character defined by legacy, insecurity, rivalry, and emotional fracture — often walking the line between loyalty and darkness. After watching Tømmeraas balance charm, vulnerability, and volatility in Sweetness, the casting idea does not feel like a stretch. It feels earned.
Director Emma Higgins backed that confidence wholeheartedly. She called Tømmeraas a “huge star” in the making and praised his professionalism, range, and ability to pivot emotionally under pressure during fast-paced production days.
With the MCU’s Spider-Man era entering a new chapter, and Harry Osborn yet to officially step into this current universe, the timing could not be more interesting. If Marvel is looking for someone who can bring intensity, charisma, and a darker edge to the role, Herman Tømmeraas has already thrown his hat into the ring.
Mutual Respect, and What Comes Next
Finally, the interview closed with the kind of creative praise that is hard to fake. Higgins did not hedge when talking about her lead. “Herman is really a talent, and he will be a huge star,” she said, describing him as hardworking, professional, and kind, and praising his range under fast-moving production days.
Tømmeraas returned the compliment with equal conviction. “She is probably the most well-prepared director I’ve ever worked with,” he said, adding that being part of her first film felt like “a proud moment.”
With Sweetness now out on Digital and On Demand via Saban Films, Higgins is ready for the wider audience.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
