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Exclusive: Production is underway in Finland on historical drama Tell Everyone, the new feature from Girl Picture director Alli Haapasalo.

Shooting on location in the Seili mental asylum on the Finnish archipelago, Tell Everyone is adapted by Katja Kallio from her 2017 novel Amanda Of The Night.

The film follows Amanda, a woman condemned to an isolated mental asylum island; who refuses to submit to the grim fate society has reserved for outcast women.

Marketta Tikkanen heads a cast of leading Finnish actors, alongside Krista Kosonen, Fallen Leaves star Alma Poysti, Aamu Milonoff and Jakob Ohrman.

Noora Dadu, Fanni Noroila, Tiina Weckstrom,...

Exclusive: Production is underway in Finland on historical drama Tell Everyone, the new feature from Girl Picture director Alli Haapasalo.

Shooting on location in the Seili mental asylum on the Finnish archipelago, Tell Everyone is adapted by Katja Kallio from her 2017 novel Amanda Of The Night.

The film follows Amanda, a woman condemned to an isolated mental asylum island; who refuses to submit to the grim fate society has reserved for outcast women.

Marketta Tikkanen heads a cast of leading Finnish actors, alongside Krista Kosonen, Fallen Leaves star Alma Poysti, Aamu Milonoff and Jakob Ohrman.

Noora Dadu, Fanni Noroila, Tiina Weckstrom,...

Actor turned writer and director Juan Pablo Di Pace is making his feature debut with a decades-spanning meta romance. The star co-directs “Before We Forget” with Andrés Pepe Estrada from a script he wrote; the iconic late Norman Lear, who died in 2023, is an executive producer.

“Before We Forget” is a staggeringly beautiful depiction of trying (and sometimes failing) to remember every detail of our first loves. Di Pace leads the film as Matias, an Argentine filmmaker grappling with an unfinished movie that was inspired by his friendship with a Swedish classmate he met at boarding school in 1997. As the logline teases, “their bond, defined by tenderness and fascination, is abruptly severed when Alexander (Oscar Morgan) is expelled, leaving young Matias (Santiago Madrussan) with a story of unspoken emotions. Twenty-five years later, Matias reopens Pandora’s box, coming face-to-face with Alexander (August Wittgenstein) once again. As life begins to imitate art,...

High-profile Finnish creator and producer Marika Makaroff, credited for the hit animated series “Moominvalley” and Canneseries’ competition entry “L/Over,” has just obtained global rights to produce a TV series/film based on the story of Kim Casali, creator of the “Love Is….” brand. Announced on the first day of Canneseries, the pact was closed with Italian outfit Minikim of Stefano Casali, son of the legendary New Zealander cartoonist who created the world-famous romantic drawings in the late 1960s.

The illustrations – originally private small caricatures of the cartoonist and her Italian husband Roberto – first became public when published in the Los Angeles Times in 1970, then went on to conquer the world once syndicated to media outlets in over 50 countries.

The forthcoming three-part animation/live action “Love Is…” series (its title to be confirmed), billed as “a story of love, loss, strength and success,” will for the first time bring to...

Scandinavia’s leading sales outfit REinvent has boarded Norway’s true crime “Escaping Bolivia,” currently filming in Cape Town, South Africa, after an initial shoot in Oslo.

Fenomen (“Rod Knock”) and longstanding outfit 4 ½ (“Out Stealing Horses”) are producing for TV2 Norway, in co-production with Germany’s pubcaster Ndr and Oslo Film Fund.

Helmer Anna Gutto, behind Lionsgate’s “Paradise Highway” starring Juliette Binoche, is concept director, working next to creator and episodic director Emilie Beck, attached to Netflix’s “Royalteen.” Toplining the six-part series are Jakob Oftebro (“Agent Hamilton”), Ella Øverbye, from Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Dreams,” Josephine Tetlie, Lisa Hovden and Danish actor Joachim Fjelstrup (“The Girl With the Needle”).

The show is inspired by the infamous drug case of three Norwegian girls aged 17, 18, 21, who were imprisoned in Bolivia after being caught in 2008, with 22kg cocaine in their bags. Two managed to escape – one with a child, helped by...

“Kalevala,” a compilation of epic poetry drawn from Karelian and Finnish folklore and mythology, is full of violence, but director Antti J. Jokinen – who has adapted the book for his film “Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo,” set in the 1100s and centering on the tragic hero Kullervo – has “no interest” in that.

“It won’t be a super violent film. We have fight sequences, the swords are heavy and the actors have been training for a year now. But it’s more interesting to show the impact violence has on people,” he tells Variety.

Jokinen has already dealt with a similar dilemma in “Purge,” taking on human trafficking and sexual cruelty. “I cut out a lot of [the violence] from the original book but its writer Sofi [Oksanen] was adamant: ‘Don’t clean it up too much.’ The violence towards women needed to be shown. This time, I had more freedom, because everyone...

Netflix has unveiled three new Nordic originals as part of its 2025 slate, including the Swedish crime series “Synden,” the Danish fertility dramedy “Sult,” and season 3 of Norwegian romantic comedy series “Home for Christmas,” confirming its ambition to keep investing in Scandinavian content.

The Nordic market has gone through a rough patch in the last few years after the fallout of negotiations between the Danish producers guild and streamers; and the major restructuring at Viaplay which has put the brakes on local originals and is now partly owned by France’s Canal+.

All three Nordic originals greenlighted by Netflix are backed by renowned creatives and producers.

“Synden” is written and directed by Peter Grönlund whose credits include “Goliat” and “Beartown.” The series follows the perpetually angry, odd but highly intelligent investigator Dani (Krista Kosonen) who is teamed up with newly graduated police colleague Malik (Mohammed Nour Oklah) to investigate the murder...

Netflix is going deeper into the Nordics with the launch of a trio of originals — including the return of romantic drama series Home For Christmas.

The streamer unveiled the titles at the opening of a new office in Stockholm. Netflix has had a base in the Swedish capital since 2021, but is moving into a new space this week.

Marking the move are Swedish drama Synden, Danish feature film Sult and Home For Christmas, which will return more than three years after season two dropped. All three will launch in 2025.

Home For Christmas Season 3 will see Ida Elise Broch returning to star as Johanne, who is now 35 and now single after a recent break up. While helping her siblings, taking care of her lonely father and landing a leadership role at work, she throws herself back into the dating scene but realises it is not what it used to be.

Writers are Siri Seljeseth,...

Sf Studios is set to co-produce and distribute “Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo,” a big-budget historical drama based on Finland’s national epic “Kalevala” which will be directed Antti J. Jokinen.

Nordic stars Elias Salonen and and Eero Aho (“The Unknown Soldier”) are set to star in leading roles. Johanna Enäsuo and Marko Röhr, at ReelMedia are producing the film, while Sf Studios will distribute the film in the Nordics with an expected theatrical release in Finnish theaters in early 2026. REinvent has boarded international sales.

“Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo” marks the first feature film adaptation of the Finnish national epic poetry compilation “Kalevala” which blends Karelian and Finnish folklore and mythology, and was created in 1835 by Elias Lönnrot, a Finnish doctor and explorer.

Set in the 1100’s, the period film will be mainly shot on location in Bomba, near the Lake Pielinen in Nurmes in North Karelia. Extensive sets are being built,...

One of the Nordic region’s biggest providers of premium series, Copenhagen-based REinvent International Sales, will make a splash at this week’s Canneseries festival and MipTV market.

For the second consecutive year, the sales, financing and packaging banner has two titles in competition: the Danish drama thriller “Dark Horse”, due to world premiere in the main competition, and the short form Swedish dramedy entry “Painkiller”, which initially bowed at the Göteborg Film Festival.

“Last year we had the Norwegian political drama “Power Play” which won best series, and the Swedish romantic dramedy “Out of Touch” in the short form section. Canneseries is a great platform to get the hype going on your series,” commented Helene Aurø, REinvent sales and marketing director.

Turning on this year’s competition candidates, Aurø points out that both “Dark Horse” and “Painkiller” deal with mother/daughter relationships.

The Danish drama thriller “Dark Horse,” ordered by TV2,...

"It's not only things out there in the woods that could hurt you." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an adventure series from Sweden titled Ronja the Robber's Daughter, based on the book written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (creator of Pippi Longstocking). The live-action adaptation is a 6 episode limited series for Netflix, debuting in two parts starting this spring. Ronja the Robber’s Daughter follows the adventures of a spirited and rebellious girl born into a gang of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian castle. As Ronja grows up, she discovers the magical, but dangerous forest with its strange and mysterious creatures. Yet she feels more at home in the forest than behind the walls of the huge castle. When Ronja meets the young boy Birk from a rival gang, it marks the beginning of a dark family feud and a forbidden friendship emerges, all while a notorious bailiff...

Astrid Lindgren’s “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” has been picked up by Netflix in the Nordics and other key territories.

The Swedish-language show — based on the bestselling book by Lindgren, one of the world’s most translated authors whose best known character is Pippi Longstocking — is written by “The Bridge” and “Marcella” creator Hans Rosenfeldt and directed by Lisa James Larsson (“Victoria”).

“Ronja the Robber’s Daughter” follows the adventures of a young girl born into a band of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian fortress. As Ronja grows up, she learns that the surrounding forest can be a magical and sometimes dangerous place filled with strange creatures. But when Ronja befriends the young boy Birk from a rival band, a vicious family feud ignites. Ronja and Birk flee into the forest and try to survive on their own.

The show’s cast, largely made up of children, comprises Kerstin Linden, Jack Bergenholtz Henriksson,...

On Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at 9:00 Pm on the CW, “The Swarm” brings viewers its eighth episode, succinctly titled “Episode 8.” The latest installment continues to unravel the show’s mysteries.

In this episode, a character named Mifune arrives via helicopter to inspect the research results aboard the Thorvaldson. This visit holds great significance as it may provide crucial insights into the enigmatic swarm of creatures that has been central to the series.

Meanwhile, the storyline delves into the challenges faced by a character named Charlie. Confronted with a seemingly impossible situation, Charlie is compelled to make a significant decision, one that appears to be made in isolation, described as a “lonely decision.”

As “The Swarm” unfolds, it maintains its gripping narrative and suspenseful elements, keeping the audience eagerly awaiting each new episode. Tune in to see how the characters navigate the complex and mysterious world of the show.

Release Date & Time:...

Join the adventure in Episode 7 of “The Swarm” on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 9:00 Pm on The CW. On this thrilling journey, the Thorvaldson heads towards the Arctic as Leon and Crowe set out to find a way to communicate with the mysterious Yrr.

In this episode, diving robotics expert Luther Roscovitz and Charlie take a submarine into the deep waters, delving into the unknown depths of the sea. Their exploration promises to reveal secrets hidden beneath the surface.

But the excitement doesn’t end there. Alicia Delaware, a member of the team, notices something unusual – a strange glow in the pool. What could this mysterious phenomenon mean for the crew and their mission?

“The Swarm” continues to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as it unravels the mysteries of the deep sea and the intriguing Yrr. Don’t miss this captivating episode that promises more adventure and discovery.

On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 9:00 Pm on CW, viewers can catch the latest episode of “The Swarm,” titled “Episode 6.” In this episode, Charlie and Sigur make their way back to Kiel. Meanwhile, a crucial Un meeting takes place in Geneva, where Dr. Roche delivers a warning about a potential global threat to drinking water supplies.

As the storyline unfolds, viewers can expect to witness the ongoing developments in the show’s narrative. “The Swarm” has been keeping audiences engaged with its intriguing plotline centered around environmental and ecological challenges.

In this episode, the focus is on the characters’ return to Kiel and the critical meeting in Geneva, where Dr. Roche’s prediction could have far-reaching implications. As the drama continues to unfold, viewers are encouraged to tune in and follow the story’s progression.

For those who have been following “The Swarm” and its exploration of ecological issues, this episode...

The CW’s dramatic thriller The Swarm continues season one with episode four, “The Mystery.” Directed by Barbara Eder from a script by Steven Lally, Marissa Lestrade, Chris Lunt, and Michael A. Walker, this exclusive clip shows a South African town under attack by crabs marching out of the sea.

Episode four airs on October 3, 2023. New season one episodes arrive on Tuesdays at 9pm Et/Pt.

The ecological thriller is based on Frank Schätzing’s bestselling novel and stars Alexander Karim as Dr. Sigur Johanson, Cécile de France as Dr. Cécile Roche, and Krista Kosonen as Tina Lund. The ensemble also includes Leonie Benesch as Charlie Wagner, Joshua Odjick as Leon Anawak, Takehiro Hira as Riku Sato, and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Alicia Delaware.

Barbara Sukowa is Professor Katharina Lehmann, Oliver Masucci is Jasper Alban, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf is Luther Roscowitz, Lydia Wilson is Sara Thompson, Eidin Jalali is Rahim Amir,...

On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 9:00 Pm, CW will air the fifth episode of “The Swarm,” titled “Episode 5.” This episode continues to follow the scientific investigation into a mysterious bacterium found in crabs that have invaded coastlines worldwide.

In this installment, Dr. Roche makes a crucial discovery, detecting the same bacterium in crabs from various parts of the globe. Meanwhile, Professor Lehmann delivers unsettling news to Sigur. As the intrigue deepens, Tina persuades Sigur to join her on a trip to Geneva. Their mission: to investigate whether ice worms, similar to the mysterious bacterium, have been discovered in other seas.

“The Swarm” is a captivating series that delves into the scientific exploration of a global ecological crisis. With each episode, the mystery surrounding these invasive species unravels further, keeping viewers engaged and eager to learn more about the unfolding scientific discoveries. Don’t miss the next installment of “The Swarm” on CW.

On Tuesday, 3rd October 2023, at 9:00 Pm on CW, viewers can catch Season 1, Episode 4 of “The Swarm.” In this episode, titled “Episode 4,” Dr. Roche plays a crucial role by providing information to a commission about the urgent situation on the French Atlantic coast.

The episode also follows the journey of Sigur and Tina, who return to the Thorvaldson to conduct a survey of the seabed. Their mission is to assess the presence and spread of ice worms in the area. As they explore, they make a discovery that the ice worms have continued to expand their territory.

“The Swarm” is a series that focuses on the escalating challenges posed by ice worms and their impact on various aspects of life. It’s a straightforward and informative show that explores the consequences of this natural phenomenon in a clear and accessible way.

Tune in to “The Swarm: Episode 4” to learn more...

Vulture Watch

Something is looking for a bit of payback. Has The Swarm TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on The CW? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Swarm, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A science fiction series airing on The CW television network, The Swarm TV show stars Alexander Karim, Cécile de France, Leonie Benesch, Joshua Odjick, Takehiro Hira, Krista Kosonen, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Barbara Sukowa, Oliver Masucci, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Eidin Jalali, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Takuya Kimura, Jack Greenlees, Dutch Johnson, Franziska Weisz, Lydia Wilson, Andrea Guo, Claudia Jurt, Elizabeth Kinnear, and David Vormweg. In the story, strange...

The Swarm TV series was produced overseas and was the most expensive German TV production (produced in English) of all time. Unfortunately, expense doesn't always translate into big ratings. The CW is now focusing on airing acquired and low-cost programming and has pulled shows that have drawn low ratings. Even if a second season is made, there's no guarantee that the network will pick it up. Will The Swarm be cancelled or renewed? Stay tuned.

A science fiction series, The Swarm TV show stars Alexander Karim, Cécile de France, Leonie Benesch, Joshua Odjick, Takehiro Hira, Krista Kosonen, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Barbara Sukowa, Oliver Masucci, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Eidin Jalali, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Takuya Kimura, Jack Greenlees, Dutch Johnson, Franziska Weisz, Lydia Wilson, Andrea Guo, Claudia Jurt, Elizabeth Kinnear, and David Vormweg. In the story, strange things are happening in the world’s oceans -- whales are destroying boats,...

A mysterious force is at work in the first season of the The Swarm TV show on The CW. As we all know, Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like The Swarm is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the first season episodes of The Swarm here.

A science fiction series on The CW, The Swarm TV show stars Alexander Karim, Cécile de France, Leonie Benesch, Joshua Odjick, Takehiro Hira, Krista Kosonen, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Barbara Sukowa, Oliver Masucci, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Eidin Jalali, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Takuya Kimura, Jack Greenlees, Dutch Johnson, Franziska Weisz, Lydia Wilson, Andrea Guo, Claudia Jurt, Elizabeth Kinnear, and David Vormweg.

Network: The CW

Episodes: Ongoing (hour)

Seasons: Ongoing

TV show dates: September 12, 2023 -- present

Series status: Has not been cancelled

Performers include: Alexander Karim, Cécile de France, Leonie Benesch, Joshua Odjick, Takehiro Hira, Krista Kosonen, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Barbara Sukowa, Oliver Masucci, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Eidin Jalali, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Takuya Kimura, Jack Greenlees, Dutch Johnson, Franziska Weisz, Lydia Wilson, Andrea Guo, Claudia Jurt, Elizabeth Kinnear, and David Vormweg.

TV show description:      

A science fiction series, The Swarm TV show is based on the novel by Frank Schätzing and was the most expensive German TV production of all time.

In the story, strange things are happening in the world's oceans -- whales are destroying boats, deep sea crabs are attacking beaches, mussels are blocking container ships, and...

The Swarm‘s already been released internationally, but now U.S. audiences will have the opportunity to watch the dramatic thriller beginning September 12, 2023 on The CW. The network picked up the event series to help fill a gap in a primetime lineup that once was packed with comic book-inspired action-dramas.

Episode one was directed by Luke Watson and written by Steven Lally, Marissa Lestrade, Chris Lunt, and Michael A. Walker. New episodes of the eight-episode ecological thriller will air on Tuesdays at 9pm Et/Pt.

Based on Frank Schätzing’s bestselling novel, The Swarm stars Alexander Karim as Dr. Sigur Johanson, Cécile de France as Dr. Cécile Roche, Leonie Benesch as Charlie Wagner, Joshua Odjick as Leon Anawak, Takehiro Hira as Riku Sato, and Krista Kosonen as Tina Lund. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers plays Alicia Delaware, Barbara Sukowa is Professor Katharina Lehmann, Oliver Masucci is Jasper Alban, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf is Luther Roscowitz,...

A few months ago, we heard that The CW had picked up the U.S. rights to the TV series adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link). Now Deadline has revealed that The Swarm is set to begin airing on The CW at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on Tuesday, September 12th. A trailer for the show can be seen in the embed above.

The Swarm, not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones...

An adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link), not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, was a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger was teaming with Beta Film and Zdf Enterprises to bring The Swarm to the screen as an eight-part TV series. Five years later, episodes of the show finally had their premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The Swarm is now streaming on multiple services around the world – and Deadline reports that The CW has picked up the U.

The Swarm, the big-budget series based on the Frank Schätzing best-seller and executive produced by Game of Thrones producer Frank Doelger, has landed with The CW in the U.S..

The deal sees the Beta Film and Zdf Studios thriller headed to American audiences after debuting at the Berlin Film Festival and recently being acquired by Sky for the U.K. and Spain’s Movistar+ channel. The U.S. deal also comes amid the WGA writers strike, when the appeal of foreign TV product for American buyers is expected to grow.

The Swarm chronicles the struggle of humankind against an unknown enemy that lives in the depths of the sea. Just as the reckless treatment of the oceans threatens the natural habitat of this mysterious collective, it strikes back.

The series stars Cécile de France, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jack Greenlees, Lydia Wilson, Krista Kosonen, Alexander Karim, Leonie Benesch and Barbara Sukowa.

Click here to read the full article.

The global television scene offered up an embarrassment of riches this year, with a seemingly endless supply of phenomenal dramas, comedies and crime procedurals as good as, or often better, than the best on offer Stateside.

The international expansion of Netflix, Amazon, AppleTV+ and others has meant many global talents now have the financial means to make their dream originals, while series from more traditional local broadcasters have access to global platforms, and a worldwide audience, on a scale never seen before.

Ahead of the winter break, The Hollywood Reporter continues its holiday tradition in picking out the best international series to binge-watch over the holiday season. Our favorite 2022 series stocking stuffers include a feminist spy thriller from Germany, a Korean take on a British romantic classic and a deep dive into the French hip-hop scene of the 1980s. (Check out our list...

An adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link) has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger was teaming with Beta Film and Zdf Enterprises to bring The Swarm to the screen as an eight-part TV series… and four years later, that series is finally ready to be seen! A television airdate hasn’t been set yet, but Variety reports that The Swarm will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Hopefully details on the TV and/or streaming release...

Screen Rant is happy to exclusively premiere the first American trailer for Bullets, a new Finnish crime drama coming to the Topic streaming service. The series comes from the minds of Antti Pesonen and Minna Virtanen, and is directed by Pete Riski. It stars Sibel Kekilli (Game of Thrones), Krista Kosonen (Blade Runner), Tommi Korpela (The Eternal Road), Jani Volanen (Hatching), and Dragomir Mrsic (Edge of Tomorrow).

Bullets received critical acclaim in its home country of Finland, receiving nominations for Best Program and Best Actress for Krista Kosonen at the Finnish Television Academy Golden Venla. The series premieres exclusively in the US and Canada on Topic beginning on Thursday, October 27th. Bullets is a female-led espionage and political thriller, focusing on young Finnish undercover cop Mari Saari (Kosonen). She is tasked with the mission to infiltrate the inner circle of Madina Taburova (Kekilli), a terrorist suspect who has traveled to Finland on her final mission.

Following the Venice Film Festival premiere of her Biennale College Cinema title “Palimpsest” – about two people that start to age backwards – Finnish helmer Hanna Västinsalo will continue to play with sci-fi elements in “Space Hobos: How to Bum a Ride from Sector B12 to Module C9.”

“It’s about workers like plumbers, welders or cleaners, trying to make their way in the world of space travel,” Västinsalo explains to Variety in Italy.

“The core of the story is drawn from my own experience of being a starving artist and trying to make it. Not always knowing how to pay rent or having money to buy groceries.”

Västinsalo is also eyeing longer formats, developing “Heaven”: a series about a nun who, after being estranged from her father, inherits his male brothel.

“I would love to explore the world that revolves around female pleasure and the bonds of a family that ends up working together,...

At the end of its first season, “Beforeigners” had a choice to make: treat the time-traveling premise of the show as a single massive difference between the world of the show and ours or use the possibility of hopping centuries as a starting point to go even bigger. Heavily inferring that the one of the series’ main characters once went backwards a millennium or so as a child was the first big sign that the HBO Max series was always going to go with the second option for Season 2.

From the outset of the series, “Beforeigners” proved it was willing to be expedient in the name of showing the most interesting parts of the world it made for itself. We see a “trans-temporal” group of people mysteriously appearing in an Oslo-area harbor. Within minutes, the show skips to a near future where an entire infrastructure is in place to help...

[This post originally appeared as part of Recommendation Machine, IndieWire’s daily TV picks feature.]

Where to Watch ‘Beforeigners’: HBO Max

TV is littered with “what if” stories — worlds that take our own and add one huge change. Often, that means organizing a show around one massive mystery or event and following the people left to parse the aftermath.

The main thing that separates “Beforeigners” from other shows like it is the massive time jump it takes in its very first episode. After introducing its inherently hook-y premise — groups of people from centuries, and even millennia, past pop up in the water outside present-day Oslo — the show immediately chooses to spend its time in a world where that new reality isn’t as unfamiliar. Tensions still run high in certain corners, but the intervening years have brought new institutional changes for daily life in the Norwegian capital. Runes appear on public signage, new terms (both preferred and derogatory) emerge to describe the newcomers,...

Exclusive: Here’s a trailer for the second season of Beforeigners, HBO Max’s debut original from Norway.

The sci-fi drama from Lilyhammer’s Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad is introducing a wealth of new international cast members for the second season, including Paul Kaye (Game of Thrones) Ann Akin (I May Destroy You), Jade Anouka (His Dark Materials), Billy Postlethwaite (Chernobyl), Hedda Stiernstedt (The Restaurant) and Philip Rosch (The Alienist). Krista Kosonen and Nicolai Cleve Broch will reprise their roles as main characters Alfhildr and Lars and Tobias Santelmann (The Last Kingdom) will return as Olav the Holy.

The series starts with Oslo shaken by a brutal murder. Lars and Alfhildr are brought back together in an investigation with ties to several countries and centuries which raises the question: could Jack the Ripper have ‘timeigrated’ to the present? Police detectives, Lars and Alfhildr soon realize that if they are to capture the killer,...

The Finnish comedy Mister 8 has won the top prize for best series at this year’s CanneSeries television festival. The series follows Maria (Krista Kosonen), a lean-in CEO of a family business who is also hyper-organized in her personal life, with a different partner for every day of the week. The problem comes when she falls for Mister 8, played by Pekka Strang. Strang who took the CanneSeries honor for best performance.

German crime drama The Allegation, the latest from bestselling crime author and screenwriter Ferdinand von Schirach, won the Dior Grand Prize at CanneSeries, as well as best screenplay honors ...

The Finnish comedy Mister8 has won the top prize for best series at this year’s CanneSeries television festival. The series follows Maria (Krista Kosonen), a lean-in CEO of a family business who is also hyper-organized in her personal life, with a different partner for every day of the week. The problem comes when she falls for Mister8, played by Pekka Strang, who took the CanneSeries honor for best performance.

German crime drama The Allegation, the latest from best-selling crime author and screenwriter Ferdinand von Schirach, won the Dior Grand Prize at CanneSeries, as well as best screenplay honors for von Schirach....

“Mister8,” a Finnish comedy series produced by It’s Alive Films, is set to make its international debut at Canneseries. In this meet cute turned meet-your-competition, Juho (Pekka Strang) pits himself against his love interest Maria’s (Krista Kosonen) seven other partners – one for each day of the week. Maria, a wealthy and powerful CEO, has each man comfortably under her control, until Juho uses his wits to weaponize jealousy in the ranks, and hilarity ensues.

Shot in black and white, “Mister8” takes a stylized approach to its comedy, eschewing jokes for situational and absurdist visual humor. Teemu Nikki directs, having successfully partnered with producer Jani Pösö before – Nikki directed “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” which in September won the Armani Beauty Audience Award in the new Horizons Extra section of the Venice Film Festival. They also made the 2017 film “Euthanizer,” which was selected as the...

Finnish series “Mister8,” produced by It’s Alive Films and sold internationally by Federation Entertainment, will celebrate its international premiere at Canneseries. The series festival will take place on Oct. 8-13 in Cannes, alongside the 37th edition of the MipTV market.

Starring Krista Kosonen (spotted in “Blade Runner 2049”) and Pekka Strang, reuniting after their 2019 rom-com “Dogs Don’t Wear Pants,” it will see a successful woman, Maria, who shares her life with seven men – one for each day of the week. But when another one comes along, someone needs to go: a young poet, a restaurant owner that likes to party, a former soldier living on the outskirts of the society, or maybe a single dad of two kids.

“It’s a pitch-black comedy about modern relationships,” says producer Jani Pösö. “Maria has come to the conclusion that guys tend to have only one redeeming feature – everything else is total shit.

First of all, props to the BBFC for giving Tove a 12A certificate. This Finnish biopic has more nudity and sexuality in it than just about any 12A film I’ve seen, and so what? Who cares if there’s a nipple here or a merkin there? Certainly not our nation’s ‘classifiers’, so that’s great.

Don’t be misled, though. The life of Tove Jansson – the creator of the famed Moomins– has not been turned into some erotic drama. However, in telling her life from 1944 to the mid-1950s, director Zaida Bergroth does place an emphasis on Jansson’s open relationships with men and women, which are portrayed with an intimate, sexual energy.

Her first relationship is with Atos Wirtanen (Shanti Roney), a married politician and intellectual. They cut different figures on face value, but their bohemian liberalism is shared, although there are traces of jealousy when Jansson...

The Swarm, the big-budget series based on the Frank Schätzing bestseller, has signed up a global cast of stars and up-and-comers for the 8-part environmental thriller.

European actors, including Cécile de France (The New Pope), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education), Jack Greenlees (Star Wars – The Last Jedi), Lydia Wilson (Flack), Krista Kosonen (Blade Runner 2049), Alexander Karim (Dying of the Light), Leonine Benesch (Babylon Berlin), and German star Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) will join the likes of Japan’s Takuya Kimura (I Came With the Rain) and Takehiro Hiera (Giri/Haji), Americans Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Game of Thrones) and Dutch Johnson (Veep),...

The Swarm, the big-budget series based on the Frank Schätzing bestseller, has signed up a global cast of stars and up-and-comers for the 8-part environmental thriller.

European actors, including Cécile de France (The New Pope), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education), Jack Greenlees (Star Wars – The Last Jedi), Lydia Wilson (Flack), Krista Kosonen (Blade Runner 2049), Alexander Karim (Dying of the Light), Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin), and German star Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) will join the likes of Japan’s Takuya Kimura (I Came With the Rain) and Takehiro Hiera (Giri/Haji), Americans Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Game of Thrones) and Dutch Johnson (Veep),...

Tove director Zaida Bergroth: “We had a wonderful production designer [Catharina Nyqvist Ehrnrooth] who studied every little detail and she was able to build this wonderful place for us.” Photo: Sami Kuokkanen

Zaida Bergroth’s Tove (Finland’s 2021 Oscar submission), screenplay by Eeva Putro, stars Alma Pöysti (Xavier Picard and Hanna Hemilä’s Moomins On The Riviera) as Tove Jansson, the creator of Moomins and Krista Kosonen (in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 with Carla Juri and in Bergroth’s Miami) as theatre director Vivica Bandler with Shanti Roney, Joanna Haartti, Robert Enckell, Kajsa Ernst, Jakob Öhrman, Eeva Putro, Liisi Tandefelt, Wilhelm Enckell.

During our conversation Zaida brings up a scene in Tove that she calls Aki Kaurismaki’s Paris, I remark that Lars von Trier’s Melancholia may have been influenced by the Moomins, and Alma Pöysti is quoted as saying “we are Moomin-marinated children.” We also...

Art, love, jealousy and freedom are themes at the heart of Tove, the biopic of Swedish-Finnish Moomins creator Tove Jansson (Alma Pöysti). Her drawings of the hippo-like Moomintrolls became world famous, graduating from books and comic strips to theater, TV series, movies and even a theme park. But the Tove we meet in 1944 Helsinki is struggling to pay the rent with her paintings, little knowing that her fortune will be made by the cartoons her sculptor father mocks.

Written by Eeva Putro and directed by Zaida Bergroth, and releasing domestically via Juno Films on June 3 and in the UK on July 9 through Blue Finch Film, the story explores evolving definitions of art through this father-daughter tension. But its deeper focus is on Tove Jansson as a person, and the fascinating milieu in which she lives.

This is liberal, post-war Helsinki, where artists mingle with politicians at illegal parties, sipping cocktails and swapping partners.

"In my family we feel sorry for people who are not artists," says Tove Jansson (Alma Pöysti) at one point in this film. She's standing up for a new acquaintance, Vivica (Krista Kosonen), against the latter's disapproving upper class father. It's different for Vivica, though. She can afford to dabble, whilst Tove relies on her art to survive. Everything Tove does has to be for real.

Zaida Bergroth's biopic about the Finnish artist, who is best known as the creator of the Moomins, was named Best Feature Film at last year's OutShine and was Finland's 2021 Oscar submission. Though narratively simple, it's a dazzling piece of work which perfectly captures the essence of the artist and both the necessity and cost of authenticity. Pöysti, who voiced Niiskuneiti in the Finnish language version of big screen adventure Moomins On The Riviera, is extraordinary in the lead and must surely be a.

Tove Juno Films Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Zaida Bergroth Writer: Eeva Putro Cast: Alma Pöysti, Krista Kosonen, Shanti Roney, Joanna Haartii, Robert Enckell Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 5/25/21 Opens: June 3, 2021 Few scenes are as bracing as a winter’s plunge into Lake Isojärvi following […]

The post Tove Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Disney Appoints Apac Chief

Disney has named Luke Kang as President, Asia Pacific, following the departure of Uday Shankar, which was announced in October and becomes effective from December 31. Kang will not, however, be taking on Shankar’s responsibilities in India, with a separate appointment set to be made for the territory by Rebecca Campbell, Chairman, International Operations and Direct-to-Consumer for Disney. Kang will oversee the studio’s business in Australia/New Zealand, Greater China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Heads To Amazon

Animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in numerous international regions including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Japan, and India. All 10 episodes of the first season, which is produced by CBS, will launch on January 22, 2021. Directed by Mike McMahan, the show focuses on the supporting crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships; Tawny Newsome,...

The Moomins, with their hippo-like silhouettes, are beloved cartoon characters familiar to readers around the globe. But less is known about their creator, the bisexual, Swedish-speaking, Finnish visual artist and author Tove Jansson and her surprisingly unconventional life. The engaging biopic “Tove,” from Finnish helmer Zaida Bergroth, goes a long way toward remedying that knowledge gap. Featuring a mesmerizing lead performance by Alma Pöysti, the sensuously textured film, shot on 16mm, concentrates on a formative decade in Tove’s life (from the mid-1940s to mid-’50s) and explores her artistic and personal passions, and the challenges they entail. With multiple hooks, sales and festival interest should be strong.

Born in 1914 and raised in an artistic, bohemian family in Helsinki, Tove is the eldest child of a prominent sculptor father (Robert Enckel) and a supportive graphic-artist mother (Kajsa Ernst). Although a student of painting, she, like her mother, also creates illustrations,...

"Dogs don't stand on two feet." Rlje has released an official US trailer for the extra kinky Bdsm film from Finland titled Dogs Don't Wear Pants, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar. It also stopped by the Toronto Strasbourg, Sitges, and Helsinki Film Festivals last fall. Described as an "affecting and absurd dramedy", Dogs Don't Wear Pants is about a guilt-stricken widower who discovers that a demanding dominatrix might be able to give him the therapy he needs. A film about how brutal Bdsm and pup play might actually be the therapy certain people need. Starring Pekka Strang, Krista Kosonen, Ester Geislerová, Ilona Huhta, Jani Volanen, and Oona Airola. With so much funky and awkward footage, they can cut together such kinky and amusing trailers for this film. And even if you don't like Bdsm (or maybe you do?), you may be into this film anyway.

"What started as a distraction, became her biggest achievement." Helsinki-Filmi has just debuted the first official sales trailer for the film Tove, a biopic about the life of acclaimed Finnish artist Tove Jansson. She is best known as the creator of the beloved Moomins, which have become famous worldwide, but she also live a struggling artists life in Scandinavia post-wwii. Swedo-Finnish actress Alma Pöysti plays Tove, and while it is mostly a Finnish story, the film is shot in the Swedish language. Tove is the untold story of Tove Jansson – artist, lover, author, icon. The film focuses on her formative years in post-war Helsinki, her fight for recognition for her art and the passionate bisexual love affair that was mirrored in the internationally beloved Moomin books. The cast includes Krista Kosonen, Joanna Haartti, and Shanti Roney. Well this looks quite good, a more emotional story than expected but compelling nonetheless.

Alma Pösti plays the Finnish painter Tove Jansson.

Denmark-based sales company LevelK has landed its first deals on Tove, the biopic of Moomins creator Tove Jansson.

The film has sold to Japan (The Klockworx) and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Estin Film). The Moomins are extremely popular in Japan; the country has produced several series featuring the animated characters, and opened the MoominValley theme park in Sanno, Saitama last year.

Screen can also reveal the exclusive first trailer for the film, above.

Set from 1944 to 1956, the Swedish-language film shows how painter Tove Jansson finds worldwide success from an unexpected side project,...

The hardcore story of a grieving surgeon who embarks on an odyssey of forbidden pleasures is intriguing but hard to watch

This movie from Finnish director J-p Valkeapää brought back to me the title of Jenny Diski’s Bdsm novel from the 80s: Nothing Natural – which is taken from lines by Brecht: “Let nothing be called natural in an age of bloody confusion, ordered disorder, planned caprice, and dehumanised humanity, lest all things be held unalterable!”

Respected surgeon Juha (Pekka Strang) is numb with grief after the death of his wife by drowning. When his teenage daughter chivvies him into taking her to a tattoo parlour so she can get a tongue-piercing, prim Juha does not care to witness the grisly procedure and so tactfully wanders away elsewhere on the premises and happens across the dungeon of dominatrix Mona (Krista Kosonen). He is enthralled and emotionally freed by the forbidden ritual,...