Finland Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Comedian Michael McIntyre has had to cancel a gig at the last minute due to an unexpected surgery.The 48 year old is currently on his world tour, named Magnificent, which has already taken him across the globe over the past year and is set to continue until the beginning of September. He's already performed in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Asia, New Zealand, the UAE, the USA and parts of Europe, and also still has shows lined up in the UK, Ireland and other European countries like Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.

Annika Pham Doc specialist house Autlook Film Sales has picked up world sales on the Finnish film “Once Upon a Time in a Forest,” ahead of its world premiere in the main competition of Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX festival. Variety is premiering its trailer (below). The film, directed and produced by Virpi Suutari, scooped the $15,000 Al Jazeera Documentary Pitch Award at the last Cannes Marché du Film.

Annika Pham Danish sales outfit DR Sales, attached to the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning doc “A New Kind of Wilderness,” has boarded another high-quality Norwegian documentary – “Phantoms of the Sierra Madre” by the multi-awarded Håvard Bustnes (“Raging Grannies,” “Golden Dawn Girls”). The epic and self-reflective film, made in partnership with the Mescalero Apache Tribe, is due to world premiere in the main DOX:Award competition of Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX festival, running March 13-24. Bustnes, Christian Aune Falch and Torstein Parelius are producing for Norway’s Upnorth Film, in co-production with Finland’s Napa Films.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios has bought British broadcaster ITV‘s 50% stake in streamer BritBox International for £255 million ($322 million), the companies revealed on Friday. The streamer was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between BBC Studios, which is the commercial arm of the British broadcaster, and ITV. “The transaction will provide net proceeds including loan repayments and accrued dividends and after tax of around £235 million,” the companies said.

A mother-of-two was seriously injured by a taxi just hours after watching her son get married in Finland. Jubilation turned to horror for Hayley McAleer and her family as she left an evening celebration with her husband, Liam, after the wedding.

EXCLUSIVE: SkyShowtime‘s drama original Codename: Annika is taking its art crime sensibilities around the world.

CoComelon outfit Moonbug Entertainment is pushing deeper into Europe by striking a deal with Allente in the Nordics.

Emiliano De Pablos U.K.-based distributor DCD Rights has pre-sold the fourth season of New Zealand’s mystery drama “My Life Is Murder” to a raft of territories ahead of its Feb. 27 official launch at the London Screenings. Starring Lucy Lawless (“Top of the Lake,” “Spartacus,” “Xena: Warrior Princess”), the series’ brand new season rights have been secured by YLE Finland, TV2 Denmark, Quebecor Content Canada and Yes DBS Israel.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest has revealed what he thinks of rising masked metal outfit Sleep Token – see what he had to say below.Speaking to Minnesota radio station 93X recently, the British metal icon was asked about the new music that he has been listening to. Halford wasted no time, going on to speak about Sleep Token.Halford said: “There’s a lot of importance being put in the direction of this band called Sleep Token. And they’re a really curious band in what they’re putting out in terms of all of these different textures.

Eurovision organizers are swiftly “scrutinizing” the lyrics of Israel‘s 2024 entry amidst question marks over their political nature.

Marta Balaga Amsterdam-based Big Blue is set to produce the upcoming series “Kiss My Feet,” alongside Finnish company Helsinki-filmi. Selected for Series Mania’s Forum Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, the six-episode drama is created by Daan Gielis and Mark Van De Grift, loosely based on their own experiences. In the show, successful marketer Max finds himself in a spiritual community in Finland, trying to help out his brother Lucas – apparently, his mysterious guru is interested in building an international brand.

K.J. Yossman Keshet International has acquired worldwide distribution rights for hostage drama “Conflict.” Produced by Backmann & Hoderhoff and XZY Films, “Conflict” is a six-part political thriller about an enemy force trying to incite a global conflict with a surprise attack. The series was created and produced by Andrei Alén and Aku Louhimies (“Rebellion”).

Marta Balaga No surprises there: Sex and crime still work when it comes to attracting viewers. But even when playing with familiar tropes, it’s crucial to add complexity to stories and characters, Fremantle’s Jamie Lynn argued on a roof table at the Berlinale Series Market. “Easy is not always best.

It’s hard to believe it’s almost 30 years since iconic British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances came to an end, with the irreverent comedy still holding a firm place in many TV watchers hearts. The popular BBC show ran from 1990 to 1995 and featured Dame Patricia Routlegede in the title role of Hyacinth Bucket.The snobbish central character soon became a firm fan favourite, particularly for her insistence that her surname Bucket was actually pronounced “Bouquet”in an attempt to make herself sound more refined.

Marta Balaga Following the October parliamentary election that saw the defeat of the right-wing Law and Justice party and appointment of leader of the opposition party Donald Tusk as prime minister, Polish filmmakers are cautiously readying for change. “So far, our cinema authorities have not changed. It remains to be seen whether they will change their approach to funding more topical or controversial projects.

Sleep Token have announced a new record deal with RCA.The mysterious London metalheads announced the news on their Instagram stories today (February 14), which linked to a post on the RCA Records page: “Welcome to the RCA family!”So far, Sleep Token have released all of their discography, including their 2023 album ‘Take Me Back To Eden‘ through Spinefarm, a Finnish heavy metal label and subsidiary of Universal Music Group.A post shared by RCA Records (@rcarecords)The announcement follows the band’s recent social media cleanse, leaving only the phrase “Nothing lasts forever” in their bio. It was initially speculated to be in response to an identity leak of a member, resulting in fears Sleep Token were going to disband.NME reviewed ‘Take Me Back To Eden‘ when it dropped last year, giving it a five-star review: “There are more risks on ‘Take Me Back To Eden’ than Sleep Token have ever taken before, but there’s never an opportunity to doubt whether anything they attempt will succeed.

A group of 400 actors, musicians and entertainment execs including Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber and Gene Simmons have penned an open letter supporting the decision for Israel to remain in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Ross McCausland's explosion onto the Rangers first-team scene struck Michael O'Neill like a bolt from the blue. But the Northern Ireland boss can't get enough of it - and reckons he's an inspiration to his international peers.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Global Screen has closed further deals on major territories for its animated adventure film “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights.” Variety debuts the new teaser (below). Viva Kids has acquired all rights for North America to the latest feature film in the franchise about a flying reindeer, following worldwide hits “Niko & the Way to the Stars” (2008) and “Niko – Little Brother, Big Trouble” (2012), which were sold to more than 120 countries. Further deals were concluded with Flins y Piniculas for Spain, CDC for Latin America, Nos Lusomundo for Portugal, Grand Entertainment for the Middle East and SVOE Kino for Ukraine.

Annika Pham Seasoned Danish writer-director Birgitte Stærmose, recently credited for the Netflix show “In From the Cold,” Starz’s “The Spanish Princess” and Göteborg 2023 closing pic “Camino,” is due to bow at the Berlin Film Festival’s Dokument program her hybrid pic “Afterwar”. Variety has secured in exclusivity the trailer for the helmer’s anti-war pamphlet produced by Magic Hour Films in Denmark (“Burma VJ”) in co-production with Sweden’s Vilda Bomben Film (“Excess Will Save Us”), Finland’s Bufo (“Fallen Leaves”) and Kosovo’s Kabineti.

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has shared that he thinks Ozzy Osbourne deserves to be knighted.Speaking to Classic Rock magazine recently, – and reported via Louder Sound – Halford voiced his support for the decade-long campaign to get the Prince of Darkness and former Black Sabbath frontman knighted.“If one person deserves a knighthood, it’s Ozzy Osbourne,” Halford said to Classic Rock. “Just for the joy he’s given people over the years.”Halford, like many others, is of the belief that Osbourne – a forefather of the metal genre – is well-deserving of knighthood for his contributions to the music industry.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Fisher King, the leading Finnish company behind some of Scandinavia’s biggest scripted hits including “Bordertown” and “The Helsinki Syndrome,” has gone bankrupt amid challenges that have thrown the Scandinavian TV industry into turmoil. Beta Film, which acquired Fisher King in 2019 and subsequently launched the umbrella banner Beta Nordic Studios, said the company was declared bankrupt on Dec.

Marta Balaga Finnish director Tiina Lymi decided to “go big” for “Stormskerry Maja,” set in the 19th century. Based on a series of books by Anni Blomqvist, it has been selected for International Film Festival Rotterdam and Goteborg. “It had to be done this way.

The Armed have announced a 2024 UK and European tour which is set to begin this summer.The band will kick off their tour with a performance at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival on May 30. From there, Tony Wolski and co.

EXCLUSIVE: Ruaridh Mollica says he had a year to prepare for his “role of a lifetime — so far” in Finnish filmmaker Mikko Makela’s powerful new film Sebastian, which premieres at Sundance on Sunday.

Marta Balaga Finnish-British director Mikko Mäkelä isn’t shying away from sexual content in “Sebastian,” which has its world premiere on Sunday at Sundance Film Festival. “As was already the case with ‘A Moment in the Reeds,’ I wanted to provide a very frank and honest portrayal of queer sexuality,” he tells Variety, referencing his 2017 debut. “For so long, queer sexuality has been shied away from and censored.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba will be coming to the big screen, along with a sneak peek at the new season.Described as an extra-sized blockbuster experience, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will allow fans to revisit the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc while also getting a glimpse at the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc (season four).The upcoming event marks the first time the finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc has ever been shown in cinemas, and also the first-ever showing of the Hashira Training Arc‘s beginning.Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will screen in UK cinemas from February 23.

Alex Ritman The nominees for the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards are set to be revealed on Thursday, with Naomi Ackie and Kingsley Ben-Adir — both former BAFTA Rising Star nominees — making the announcement at 12 p.m. U.K. time (4 a.m.

Love Island star Molly Marsh embarked on an incredible getaway to Lapland with her boyfriend Zachariah Noble, and the couple looked more loved-up than ever as they basked in the beautiful winter wonderland of Finland. Social media influencer Molly, 23, shared a series of new snaps on her Instagram grid and stories, as she gushed over her accommodations for the stay. Along with a stunning image of powder-topped teepees in the icy sun, the reality star told her followers: "This place is dreamy." She then tagged Aurora Collection Resort, a lavish accommodation which was a PR stay gifted to her and Zach, 26.The sportsman then shared another collection of images, as he teased that he would be tucking into reindeer meat for his dinner.

The British Film Institute has revealed the list of TV, film, and animation companies that have won funding from its latest £3.3M ($4.2M) Global Screen Fund payout.

EXCLUSIVE: Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki has achieved his best global box office in a decade with Cannes Jury Prize winner Fallen Leaves which has racked up a total gross of $12.4M, according to figures released by its producers.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the classic sitcom “The Honeymooners,” and was the last surviving member of the cast, died Saturday in New York City. She was 99. Randolph was in hospice care at the time of her death and died of natural causes, her son, Randy, told TMZ.

Manchester Airport says it's celebrating its busiest December ever, with record numbers of passengers passing through over the festive period. December also marked the third consecutive month in a row that passenger numbers outstripped pre Covid-pandemic levels, added the airport.

Eurovision Song Contest.Organisers of the contest faced backlash and boycott calls in December after allowing Israel to participate in 2024 competition – which is due to take place in Malmö, Sweden from May 7-11 – despite the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.Since Hamas forces launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, at least 22,835 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, amounting to one per cent of the territory’s total pre-war population of 2.27million (per CNN).The petition urges a ban over alleged “war crimes” in Gaza, adding that if Israel is not excluded, they want public broadcaster Yle to withdraw Finland’s entry.Yle said it is monitoring the position of the organiser of the contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).One of the petition’s authors, Lukas Korpelainen, told newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet (via BBC) that it was not acceptable for Israel to “take part in the Eurovision Song Contest to polish its image”.Others who have signed the petition include Finnish artists Olavi Uusivirta, Paleface and 2011 contestant Axel Ehnström.Signatories have accused Yle of double standards, noting that the broadcaster was among the first to demand a ban on Russia from the 2022 contest after its invasion of Ukraine, saying “we expect the same active defending of values from Yle now as well”.Russia was banned from competing in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, which was won by Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.Yle representative Ville Vilén said the situation in Israel and Gaza was “not quite the same”.“As gruesome as it is, it is not a war of inter-state aggression like between Russia and Ukraine,” he told Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.Yle’s head of communications, Jere Nurminen, told

Israel‘s place at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is under the microscope following a petition signed by more than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals urging a ban due to alleged “war crimes.”

Marta Balaga Picture Tree International has boarded international sales and debuted the trailer for Miia Tervo’s upcoming comedy “The Missile,” set to world premiere at Göteborg’s just-announced Nordic Competition. Produced by Finland’s Kaisla Viitala at Elokuvayhtio Komeetta and Estonia’s Daniel Kuitunen at Stellar Film, the movie will be distributed in Scandinavia by Aurora Studios. Tervo’s second feature after the award-winning “Aurora” – which opened the Swedish fest back in 2019 – teases a “uniquely crafted mix of political satire, heartfelt comedy and kitchen-sink drama, rooted in Northern brevity and melancholy,” according to its description.