Finland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Marta Balaga As proven by a slew of new shows in development, series creators from Finland keep on experimenting. “People are exploring some bold, risky topics. Ones that make you go: ‘Wow, they are really making a show about that?’,” says Laura Kuulasmaa, executive director from the producers’ association APFI. Aamu Film Company’s “Monster,” about a teenage Nicke, realizing he is in love with his girlfriend’s 11-year-old sister, is bound to ignite discussions.  “I wanted to do this show because I believe that raising awareness of minor-attracted persons can save children from abuse,” creator Eva-Maria Koskinen tells Variety.  

to its website, offering what it calls a “fascinating learning experience” into failed innovation. “Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation,” continues the site. “The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks.” The Museum of Failure showcases more than 159 retail items that didn’t quite take off, including the infamous and much-reviled Google Glass and the ill-fated DeLorean car, which was made famous by the “Back to the Future” franchise.Other items that made the museum’s not-so-hallowed halls include 1985’s Coke II — also known as New Coke and revisited in Season 3 of the mid-’80s-nostalgic Netflix series “Stranger Things” — as well as the 2003 Nokia N-Gage smartphone, which despite its failure in the US helped jump-start Finland’s mobile gaming industry.

While Manchester United are enjoying a fine first season with Erik ten Hag at the helm, it's fair to say that the month of March ended up being a mixed bag for the Reds.

Manchester United supporters have been left shocked following Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus' proposal to buy the Reds.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent While she retired prematurely at the age of 39, Brigitte Bardot has left an indelible mark on France’s popular culture in the 1960’s and 1970’s. With her wild blonde mane, smoky eyes and pouty lips, Bardot became a symbol of a modern and effortlessly sexy French woman, and a style emblem that continues to inspire current trends. The event series “Bardot,” which is penned and directed by Daniele Thompson (“The Queen Margot”) and Christopher Thompson (“La bûche”), world premiered at Series Mania Festival to unanimous praise and has been pre-sold by Federation nearly worldwide. “‘Bardot’ is like the French ‘The Crown’ because Bardot embodied France, and through her journey we reminisce about many parts of France’s history and popular culture in the 1950’s and 1960’s,” Federation’s boss and “Bardot” producer Pascal Breton told Variety.

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus says he has submitted a unique bid to buy half of Manchester United and says he will allow fans to buy the other half.

Eurovision 2023 Semi-Final running orders have been revealed – check it out below.The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool from May 9-13, with Mae Muller set to represent the UK with ‘I Wrote A Song’.The UK city was announced to stage the contest on behalf of Ukraine, after organisers deemed the country unable to host the event due to the ongoing war with Russia.You can find all the songs that are entered for this year’s competition here.This week, Eurovision shared the running order for the Semi-Final shows, which take place on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11.Norway will kick off proceedings for the first Semi-Final, closed out 15 acts later with a performance by Finland. The second event is set to be opened by Denmark, with Australia hitting the stage last.We got #Eurovision2023 Semi-Final running orders ✨➡️ https://t.co/V1tz85qvRD pic.twitter.com/hSjYqudp6j— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) March 22, 2023The Big Five participants – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom, which make the biggest financial contributions to the contest – along with Ukraine, automatically qualify for the Grand Final.Check out the full schedule below.First Semi-Final Eurovision 20231. Norway2. Malta3. Serbia4. Latvia5. Portugal6. Ireland7. Croatia8. Switzerland9. Israel10. Moldova11. Sweden12. Azerbaijan13. Czechia14. Netherlands15. FinlandSecond Semi-Final Eurovision 20231. Denmark2. Armenia3. Romania4. Estonia5. Belgium6. Cyprus7. Iceland8. Greece9. Poland10. Slovenia11. Georgia12. San Marino13. Austria14. Albania15. Lithuania16. AustraliaMeanwhile, Eurovision final 2023 tickets sold out in just 36 minutes.Tickets for all nine shows including the live Grand Final went on sale

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent LILLE, France —  “Yours, Margot,” from  “Compartment No 6’s” Juho Kuosmanen, Guatemalan Cannes Camera d’Or winner César Díaz (“Our Mothers”) and Brazil’s Beatriz Seigner (“Los Silencios”) have won the three prizes on offer at the first edition of Seriesmakers. A mentoring program for filmmakers making their TV creator debut, after an inaugural edition delivering one of the most talent-packed project lineups at any festival, film or TV, in 2023, Seriesmakers backers Beta Group and Series Mania opened on Wednesday a call for admissions for a second edition.   Though all three series range hugely in setting and creators, all three see their protagonists go back to a recent past to explore events that have impacted their family (“Yours, Margot”), their modern-day country (“The Invisible Ink”), or traumas in the present (“Amigas”). 

A project from Finland and a Belgium-Uruguay co-production have won the Seriesmaker initiative here at Series Mania.

Ed Meza @edmezavar International distributor Eccho Rights has inked landmark deals for Turkish drama series “Golden Boy” with broadcasters in Sweden and Finland.The show, which has enjoyed huge success on Turkey’s Star TV since launching in September 2022, is the first Turkish drama to be picked up by Swedish and Finnish broadcasters. In Sweden, TV4 acquired “Golden Boy” for its TV4Gold and Sjuan linear channels, as well as streamers CMore and TV4 Play. In Finland, Eccho Rights’ deal with MTV Oy represents the first time ever that a Turkish series has been licensed by a Finnish broadcast group, with “Golden Boy” to stream on CMore and Katsomo in Finland.

EXCLUSIVE: Ilkkas’ Creative Studio (ICS), the Nordic creative hub launched last year, is planning to shake up Finland’s approach to international scripted content.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The duo behind the hit Nordic franchise “Snabba Cash,” helmer Jesper Ganslandt and screenwriter Oskar Söderlund, have re-teamed on “Cry Wolf,” an action thriller series starring British musician-turned-actor Eliot Sumner (“No Time to Die”). Ordered by Swedish broadcaster TV4, “Cry Wolf” is based on “Vargasommar,” the anticipated debut novel of Hans Rosenfeldt, the BAFTA-nominated creator of “Bron” (“The Bridge”) and British series “Marcella.” Fifth Season has boarded international sales. “Cry Wolf” will also star Eva Melander (“UFO Sweden”) and Henrik Dorsin (“Triangle of Sadness”). It will start filming in in Haparanda, near the border of Finland, in July. Melander is set play Hannah Wester, a 54-year-old police officer whose quiet life in Haparanda gets turned upside down after a wolf is found dead. The ordinary investigation becomes a sprawling criminal case connected to a bloody drug deal in Finland and sparks a series of brutal events.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Mobile 101, a Nokia Story,” a series about the dramatic rise and fall of the Finnish phone company, has been acquired by Disney+ and Walter Presents in multiple territories. The series was produced by Finland’s Rabbit Films and is represented in international markets by the outfit. The six-part series, which sheds light on how a small Finnish company specializing in rubber boots became the world’s biggest mobile manufacturer at the turn of the 21st century, has been picked by Disney+ Italy, Netherlands and Belgium. Walter Presents, meanwhile, bought it for the UK & Ireland. RUV Iceland has also acquired season one of the series.

Taking in the panoramic vistas of beautiful Bologna, the phrase la dolce vita (“the sweet life”) springs to mind. Foodies flock to northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, of which Bologna is the capital, for its rich Bolognese and mortadella sausage washed down with sangiovese wine.The mediaeval Mercato di Mezzo even features street signs denoting the food on offer, such as Vicolo dei Ranocchi, Alley of the Frogs! The terracotta-tinged city is also a magnet for history buffs thanks to its leaning towers and centuries-old porticos, which are now on UNESCO’s World Heritage list – not to mention the oldest university in the world.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nick Faldo, and Aaron Judge are among the elite professional athletes who have benefitted from working with a sports psychologist. Now some esports stars are catching onto the idea.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Viaplay’s newly launched U.S. streaming service has unveiled the trailer for its anticipated original crime series “Cell 8” which will premiere exclusively in North America on the platform on April 13. The 6-episode series shot in both Swedish and English, and revolves around the justice system and death penalty. “Cell 8” tells the story of a man presumed dead who is arrested on a ferry between Sweden and Finland. Detectives Mariana Hermansson (Mimosa Willamo) and Ewert Grens (Leonard Terfelt) who proceed to the arrest are thrown into a mysterious and increasingly dark series of events. The case soon reveals a personal connection not only to Hermansson herself, but to a Death Row prisoner in the U.S. and a grieving parent consumed by the quest for revenge.

FKA Twigs has teased a clip of an new unreleased song that is being used in a Calvin Klein campaign.The new song, whose title has not yet been revealed, is the first release from Twigs since ‘Killer’ back in June 2022. Her recent mixtape ‘Caprisongs’ was released at the beginning of that year.The artist also appears in the campaign itself, with the black-and-white visuals accompanying the teaser showing her modelling Calvin Klein underwear.Twigs took to Twitter to give her thoughts on the campaign.

Marta Balaga Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen, behind “Compartment No. 6” and “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki”– both awarded in Cannes – will now turn his attention to new series “Yours, Margot,.”  The upcoming series is one of the 10 projects chosen for Series Mania and Beta Group’s Seriesmakers. Based on Meri Valkama’s novel, “Compartment” will be produced, just like his previous films, by Helsinki-based Aamu Film Company, with “Compartment” scribes Andri Feldmanis and Livia Ulman also on board. This time Kuosmanen dissects the experiences of Vilja, who spent her childhood in East Berlin, following her foreign correspondent father. After his death, she finds old letters to “Erich,” all from mysterious “Margot.” Now, as an adult, she decides to return to Berlin and track her down. 

Three Pines” has been by canceled by Prime Video after just one season. The streamer confirmed to Variety that it has opted not to bring the Alfred Molina-starring show back for another run following an eight-episode first season that wrapped on Dec. 23. “We are proud of the work done on the series and the opportunity to work with great partners,” a representative for Prime told Variety via email. “Three Pines” was produced by Sony Pictures Television-owned Left Bank Pictures and aired exclusively on Prime Video in Canada, U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Greenland. The series is based on Canadian author Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series of novels, which take place in and around a remote, fictional Quebec village called Three Pines.

Naman Ramachandran Birmingham Rep will co-produce “Sinatra The Musical,” the first official musical based on the life and career of Frank Sinatra, with Michele Anthony, Bruce Resnikoff and Scott Landis for Universal Music Group Theatrical, and Tina Sinatra and Charles Pignone on behalf of Frank Sinatra Enterprises.  The team behind the musical includes two-time Tony-winning writer Joe DiPietro (“What’s New Pussycat?”) and Olivier-winning and three-time Tony-winning director and choreographer, Kathleen Marshall (“Anything Goes”). The musical begins on New Year’s Eve, 1942, where a skinny 27-year-old Italian American singer is about to step onto the stage of New York’s Paramount Theatre and give a performance that will change music history. As Frank Sinatra’s career suddenly skyrockets, he struggles with balancing the love of his wife, Nancy, against the demands and temptations of being the most popular singer in America. But when he begins an affair with movie goddess Ava Gardner, his records stop selling and the press turns against him, sending his career into a tailspin. Driven by his devotion to his family, Sinatra stages the greatest comeback in showbiz history.

Nordic Networks Team For ITV Studios Drama Deal

Lorde, Christine And The Queens and Pusha T have been added to the line-up at this year’s Flow Festival.The event is due to take place in Helsinki, Finland between August 11 and August 13.Organisers confirmed in December that acts including FKA Twigs, Caroline Polachek, Suede and Devo would perform over the weekend before they announced Blur and Wizkid would join the bill in January.The latest announcement will see Lorde make her debut at the festival on August 12 while Christine And The Queens will be making her first appearance on the closing night. Pusha T will also perform on August 12.Superstar Lorde announced for Flow Festival 2023! ✨ In addition, celebrated French artist Christine and the Queens, praised rapper Pusha T, High Vis, pehmoaino, Kube, MELO, Sofa, and Ne Galaktiset have also been added to Flow’s lineup.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that 8x Oscar nominated actress Glenn Close and Anders Danielsen Lie have signed on to star in a feature film take of Tove Jansson’s novel The Summer Book which Charlie McDowell will direct and produce with his Case Study Films, a production company he co-founded with Alex Orlovsky and wife Lily Collins.

EXCLUSIVE: A musical stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, originally co-created in 2006 by Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical director Matthew Warchus, is headed to the English countryside.

The Royal Burgh of Annan Pipe Band had a special role to play in Finland to celebrate a major milestone for the forestry industry.

James Cosmo reckons his career is going into reverse – and finally, in his 70s, he’s doing a romcom.

Four popular TLC series will roll out new episodes in April, including “90 Day Fiancé,” ‘Dr. Pimple Popper,” “You, Me & My Ex” and “7 Little Johnstons.”“90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise” arrives Monday, April 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International BritBox International has reached three million subscribers across its eight international markets, Variety can reveal. The “best of British” streamer, which is backed internationally by BBC and ITV, has reached its latest milestone across the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. (The service launched in the U.K. in November 2019 but split off from the global operation in 2022 and is now integrated into ITV’s streaming offering, ITVX.) “Through what’s been a really challenging time for lots of SVODs, we’ve grown by 15% this year, which certainly exceeds that category growth for the U.S., and lots of our competitors in that set,” Reemah Sakaan, the London-based CEO of BritBox International, tells Variety.

Berlinale Series Market’s annual project pitching event, “Tipping Point” walked off Tuesday morning with the Series Mania Award. The prize is an invitation to the production’s team to present again at the industry centrepiece at next month’s Lille-based get-together, the Series Mania Forum’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. “Tipping Point” joins 15 other projects as a sixteenth project presented out of competition in partnership with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.  Set in the extraordinary Svalbard – an archipelago half way between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole, it  turns on a feisty young eco-activist at constant odds with her father, an oil exec, until he is murdered. Teaming with some of his friends to investigate his death, she discovers another man from the one she knew, as she chases a stolen software which could solve climate crisis or destroy the world.

Marta Balaga Berlinale’s Co-Pro Series title “Tipping Point” heads to the end of the world – Svalbard – to tell a story of a young activist at war with her oil exec father, until he is murdered.  Chasing a piece of stolen software which can be used either to destroy the world or improve it, just like the atomic bomb, she is investigating his death. A ReelMedia (Finland) and Maipo Film (Norway) production, it’s set to start shooting in 2024.  “In Svalbard, there are scientists, spies, military attaches, environmentalists, miners. Polar bears and even a statue of Lenin, because no one bothered to take it down. You can’t make it up,” laughs head writer Brendan Foley, promising the location will keep the tale “contained.”

“Most people hosting a travel show want to do it. They have a sense of adventure.

Schitt’s Creek co-creator Eugene Levy has opened up about revealing his authentic, non-adventurous side in Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler, which he said gave him “a sense of confidence.”

Emiliano De Pablos Spanish TV production house Mediacrest is joining forces with Helsinki-based outfit ReelMedia and Finnish public broadcaster YLE to develop climate change thriller series project “17kHz.” The co-production model resulting from the “17kHz” development deal will be one focus at the showcase “Spanish Fiction Contents: New Releases & Financial Opportunities,” which takes place Feb. 20 at Berlin’s European Film Market. Organized by ICEX Spain Trade & Investment, the meeting’s panelists will include Mediacrest‘s executives Gustavo Ferrada and Winnie Baert.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Coming of age thriller “The Gymnasts,” one of the most recent titles from Europe’s public broadcaster partnership The Alliance, has been licensed to over 30 territories, London-based super indie All3Media International confirmed on Monday at the Berlinale Series Market.     Based on Ilaria Bernardini’s bestselling novel “Corpo Libero” (“The Girls Are Good”), the six-part series is produced by the Oscar-winning team at Indigo Film, behind “The Great Beauty,” in co-production with ZDF Neo’s German company Network Movie.  The series has been made in collaboration with Rai Fiction and Paramount+, and in association with All3Media International.

Lise Pedersen Following in the footsteps of its Nordic neighbors, Finland is fast becoming a destination of choice for foreign co-productions, not least thanks to its up-front cash-back tax incentive introduced in 2017. Despite a slight drop in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, figures show a 40%-plus growth of the audiovisual industry in the past five years, distributed evenly between co-production and service production. In addition to the national rebate of 25%, productions can get up to 40% incentive money thanks to top-ups from regional film commissions. Other support mechanisms include public broadcaster YLE and the Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture (AVEK), as well as a growing number of private investors such as VOD platform Elisa Viihde and Aurora Studios,  which   are   working actively on getting Finnish content out to the world.

‘Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ Gets Behind-The-Scenes Doc Treatment