‘Estonia’: How Creatives Behind One Of Scandinavia’s Most Expensive TV Series Of All Time Took An Ethical Approach To Ferry Tragedy Drama

Marta Balaga Timothy Spall is ready to bring “Joy to the World.” “It’s a Christmas story, but an unusual Christmas story,” he tells Variety about his upcoming film, directed by Edward Hall. Calico Pictures and Studio Hamburg are on board, while James Nesbitt co-stars. “It’s about a troubled 12-year-old kid who is pretty obnoxious, really.

Marta Balaga Sweden’s Isabella Eklöf has followed up her acclaimed debut “Holiday” with the Greenland-set “Kalak,” this time around opting for a male protagonist. “He’s a guy, but the story is exactly the same,” she says. “It’s still about sexual assault and ‘restaging’ your trauma, or looking for family and connection, but I have never explored that perspective before.

Marta Balaga “Death Is a Problem for the Living,” now also in Italy. The Finnish black comedy, directed by Teemu Nikki of “Euthanizer” fame, will premiere at the Rome Film Festival in October. “I am so proud of everything we have made together, especially ‘Euthanizer’ and [Venice Horizons Extra winner] ‘The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,’ but this one is certainly the most consistent.

Marta Balaga Be scared, be very scared: Skoop Media has dropped the trailer for new series “Raspberry Hill.” “It challenges children in a way that’s refreshing,” says Skoop Media’s head of acquisitions and marketing Fulko Kuindersma. “Nowadays, kids are more resilient than we give them credit for. ‘Raspberry Hill’ [‘Hallonbacken’] embraces this by delving into suspenseful themes, which also makes it appealing to parents.

Christopher Vourlias Finnish director Marika Harjusaari makes her feature debut with the female-centered, 19th-century-set horror “The Mire,” which follows a woman who must use her mysterious powers to save a Finnish village from a malevolent spirit. The film will be presented this week as part of a showcase of upcoming Finnish titles at the Finnish Film Affair.

Jehnny Beth has released a new ‘Live’ EP that features two new unreleased songs titled ‘More Adrenaline’ and ‘Amazing Life’.The two tracks feature Beth’s signature beats with ‘More Adrenaline’ being eclectic and eccentric. Lyrics such as “I’m in my bed/I had an orgasm and I lost my cigarette in my sheets” are followed by the anthemic chorus “More adrenaline / more adrenaline” ready to make any dance floor come to life.‘Amazing Life’ is a slower-paced tune that still has a heavy beat.

Amy Nicholson “The Royal Hotel,” the setting of Kitty Green’s ulcer-inducing thriller, is a sun-baked bar in a rural Australian mining town surrounded by terrain so monotone that Canadian backpackers Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) can’t keep their eyes open on the way in. The two young women arrive at their barmaid jobs with a sense palpable disorientation. They’ve quite literally woken up in Oz, and they don’t know the people, the customs, the nicknames for the local ales, or the way out.

EXCLUSIVE: Creatives behind Alice & Jack, which stars Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough in the latter’s first role since the To Leslie controversy, have spotlighted how they wanted the Channel 4/Masterpiece TV series to feel like an indie film.

back on set to wrap part two of Season 5.In April, Costner, Sheridan and the lead cast — Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham and Jacki Weaver — all skipped PaleyFest last-minute, upsetting fans who bought a ticket for the L.A. panel, and raising suspicions about behind-the-scenes tensions between Sheridan and Costner.Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty and Dawn Olivieri were ultimately brought in as backup.

Christopher Vourlias As part of its industry program running parallel to the Helsinki Film Festival — Love & Anarchy, which takes place Sept. 14 – 24, the Finnish Film Affair is presenting five local TV series currently in the works that will be pitched to potential co-producers, financiers, broadcasters, streaming platforms, sales agents and other international industry reps. The five projects will be presented on Sept.

Manchester United academy hopeful Shea Lacey recorded a brace for England's Under-17s in their 4-1 win over Spain on Tuesday.

Ellise Shafer SkyShowtime, the European streaming home to releases from Paramount and Universal, has revealed its upcoming film and TV slate through the rest of the year, including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Poker Face.” Just one year since the streaming service’s launch in the Nordics and six months since its rollout in 20 more European markets, SkyShowtime is on track to have 50% of this year’s box office on the platform. “Less than a year since our launch, SkyShowtime boasts an impressive line-up of amazing content,” SkyShowtime CEO Monty Sarhan said in a statement.

Marta Balaga Caution! Kaisa El Ramly’s upcoming feature “Gateways & Dreams” has debuted a trailer, so watch out for moving vehicles. The tragicomic road movie, produced by Helsinki-based Inland Film Company and co-produced by Sweden’s Läsk, focuses on multiple characters stuck in their cars on one summer’s day, as well as one hitchhiker and a very special dog. Following its screenings at Helsinki Int.

Rasmus Hojlund says he was never worried about his transfer to Manchester United collapsing upon the discovery of his back injury, although he admitted it was a “rollercoaster” period of time.

Marta Balaga Director Katja Gauriloff has made history with “Je’vida,” the first feature shot in the Skolt Sámi language. “It’s my native tongue, but because of forced assimilation in Finland [of the Sámi people] I didn’t actually learn it. I am studying it only now,” she tells Variety ahead of the Toronto premiere.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Vogter,” a psychological thriller directed by Gustav Möller, whose previous film “The Guilty” won the Audience Award at Sundance, has been pre-sold by Les Films du Losange to multiple territories. “Vogter,” which was just completed and is now in post, has been picked up for Germany, Austria, Switzerland (Ascot Elite), Spain (La Aventura), Italy (Movies Inspired), Japan (Happinet Phantom Studios), Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg (Cineart), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Kino Pavasaris) and Hungary (Vertigo). Les Films du Losange has closed these deals since unveiling the project at Cannes and is negotiating further sales in other key territories.

Rasmus Hojlund has confirmed a number of clubs were interested in signing him this summer but says his eyes were only set on Manchester United.

‘Bardot’ Series Sells After Netflix Launch

EXCLUSIVE: Nadia Forde has joined the cast of Conflict, the Finnish political thriller series from Rebellion director Aku Louhimies and XYZ Films.

Naman Ramachandran The European Film Academy has revealed the nominations for Lux – The European Audience Film Award. The nominated films are: “20,000 Species of Bees” by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain); “The Teacher’s Lounge” by İlker Çatak (Germany); “Fallen Leaves” by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, Germany); “On the Adamant” by Nicolas Philibert (France, Japan); and “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” by Anna Hints (Estonia, France, Iceland).