The votes are in: Atmospheric (and claustrophobic) Finnish mystery thriller “Icebreaker,” already one of the most buzzed of projects hitting the competition, has been crowned the winner of the 8th edition of MipDrama, receiving its Coup de Coeur award.
Sold by About Premium Content, created by Mia Ylönen, who exec produces with Aleksi Bardy, the Elisa Viihde-commissioned show “Icebreaker” is set on a stranded boat.
As its crew members start to disappear, one by one, coastguard Sanna Tanner (Jessica Grabowsky) is trying to find answers – but what she is dealing with goes way beyond rational explanations.
“We wanted to build up slowly, like a classic whodunnit, but you get a sense there is something else going on. Something is lurking on this ship, but we don’t know whether it’s human or not,” creator Mia Ylönen previously told Variety. The show is produced by Helsinki-filmi, an independent subsidiary of Aurora Studios.
Sold by About Premium Content, created by Mia Ylönen, who exec produces with Aleksi Bardy, the Elisa Viihde-commissioned show “Icebreaker” is set on a stranded boat.
As its crew members start to disappear, one by one, coastguard Sanna Tanner (Jessica Grabowsky) is trying to find answers – but what she is dealing with goes way beyond rational explanations.
“We wanted to build up slowly, like a classic whodunnit, but you get a sense there is something else going on. Something is lurking on this ship, but we don’t know whether it’s human or not,” creator Mia Ylönen previously told Variety. The show is produced by Helsinki-filmi, an independent subsidiary of Aurora Studios.
- 4/7/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Keshet International (Ki) has picked up global rights to Finnish sci-fi thriller “Valhalla Project” (“Operaatio Valhalla”), produced by L.A. and Helsinki -based Snapper Films for Finnish streaming service Elisa Viihde.
The Elisa Viihde Original six-part series, currently in post-production, will be sneak peeked April 7 at MipDrama in Cannes, MipTV’s buyers and press’ only showcase for premium dramas.
Toplining the international cast of the high-end series, which is filmed in English, Finnish and Russian, are Sara Soulié, Alistair Brammer, Iben Dorner, Joonas Saartamo and Pääru Oja.
The “Valhalla Project” is directed by Snapper Films’s founder and producer Juha Wuolijoki from a screenplay by award-winning writer Jari Olavi Rantala.
The multi-layered story delves into the concept of parallel dimensions, while also exploring themes of humanity, identity, and the limitations of life.
We follow climate researcher Alina Railo (Soulié) as she travels to the Finnish Lapland with an international expedition to...
The Elisa Viihde Original six-part series, currently in post-production, will be sneak peeked April 7 at MipDrama in Cannes, MipTV’s buyers and press’ only showcase for premium dramas.
Toplining the international cast of the high-end series, which is filmed in English, Finnish and Russian, are Sara Soulié, Alistair Brammer, Iben Dorner, Joonas Saartamo and Pääru Oja.
The “Valhalla Project” is directed by Snapper Films’s founder and producer Juha Wuolijoki from a screenplay by award-winning writer Jari Olavi Rantala.
The multi-layered story delves into the concept of parallel dimensions, while also exploring themes of humanity, identity, and the limitations of life.
We follow climate researcher Alina Railo (Soulié) as she travels to the Finnish Lapland with an international expedition to...
- 4/5/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar acceptance speech has evoked strong criticism from the public. Now, The Zone of Interest executive producer and co-financier Danny Cohen broke his silence and expressed disagreement with the director.
He acknowledged the filmmaker’s talent and the success of his latest project. However, Glazer went on to remark that it was also imperative to recognize that his speech had offended the public.
Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest The Zone of Interest’s Danny Cohen Speaks Against Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar Speech
Speaking on the Unholy podcast, the president of Access Entertainment Danny Cohen revealed his sentiments about the latest issue in Jonathan Glazer’s speech.
“It’s really important to recognize [the speech has] upset a lot of people and a lot of people feel upset and angry about it. And I understand that anger frankly.”
SUGGESTEDBefore Jonathan Glazer, Oscar Winner Susan Sarandon Faced Savage Backlash for...
He acknowledged the filmmaker’s talent and the success of his latest project. However, Glazer went on to remark that it was also imperative to recognize that his speech had offended the public.
Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest The Zone of Interest’s Danny Cohen Speaks Against Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar Speech
Speaking on the Unholy podcast, the president of Access Entertainment Danny Cohen revealed his sentiments about the latest issue in Jonathan Glazer’s speech.
“It’s really important to recognize [the speech has] upset a lot of people and a lot of people feel upset and angry about it. And I understand that anger frankly.”
SUGGESTEDBefore Jonathan Glazer, Oscar Winner Susan Sarandon Faced Savage Backlash for...
- 3/15/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
Israeli surrogacy drama “A Body That Works” has been renewed for a second season.
“A Body That Works” (titled “Goof Shlishi” in Hebrew) was Israel’s highest rating drama of 2023. The series, which stars Rotem Sela (“The Baker and the Beauty”) and “Fauda’s” Lior Raz, tells the story of a couple struggling with infertility who enlist a surrogate.
Season 2 will pick up directly after the last season, with Ellie (Sela) and Ido (Yehuda Levi) separated and co-parenting their son, who was delivered via surrogate Chen (Gal Malka). Raz plays a love interst.
Sela and Malka jointly won Series Mania’s best actress award at last year’s festival for their roles in the series.
All four leads return for the six-episode second season along with the creative team, comprised of director Shay Capon (“The Writer”) and executive producers Shira Margalit and Elad Koperman.
“Relationships and love will once again...
“A Body That Works” (titled “Goof Shlishi” in Hebrew) was Israel’s highest rating drama of 2023. The series, which stars Rotem Sela (“The Baker and the Beauty”) and “Fauda’s” Lior Raz, tells the story of a couple struggling with infertility who enlist a surrogate.
Season 2 will pick up directly after the last season, with Ellie (Sela) and Ido (Yehuda Levi) separated and co-parenting their son, who was delivered via surrogate Chen (Gal Malka). Raz plays a love interst.
Sela and Malka jointly won Series Mania’s best actress award at last year’s festival for their roles in the series.
All four leads return for the six-episode second season along with the creative team, comprised of director Shay Capon (“The Writer”) and executive producers Shira Margalit and Elad Koperman.
“Relationships and love will once again...
- 2/27/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Picking up on Berlinale Series Market hits, such as “Lost Boys & Fairies,” and teasing some of the big main competition swings at Series Mania – “Apples Never Fall,” “Rematch,” “So Long, Marianne” – the 2024 London TV Screenings are a powerhouse showcase of some of the biggest TV highlights of 2024, plus the trends shaping TV markets.
To help you cut through the slates, here’s Variety’s picks of 20 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.
“Apples Never Fall” (NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution)
One highlight for NBCU, hosting the first London TV Screenings showcase on Monday Feb. 26 evening, is “The Day of the Jackal,” starring Eddie Redmayne, produced by “Top Boy” showrunner Ronan Bennett and directed by Brian Kirk (“Game of Thrones”). Highest profile, however – given its cast and now status as the biggest swing in Series Mania main competition – may be Peacock limited series “Apples Never Fall,” with Annette Bening as the...
To help you cut through the slates, here’s Variety’s picks of 20 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.
“Apples Never Fall” (NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution)
One highlight for NBCU, hosting the first London TV Screenings showcase on Monday Feb. 26 evening, is “The Day of the Jackal,” starring Eddie Redmayne, produced by “Top Boy” showrunner Ronan Bennett and directed by Brian Kirk (“Game of Thrones”). Highest profile, however – given its cast and now status as the biggest swing in Series Mania main competition – may be Peacock limited series “Apples Never Fall,” with Annette Bening as the...
- 2/26/2024
- by John Hopewell and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Keshet International has acquired worldwide distribution rights for thriller series “Conflict.”
Produced by Backmann & Hoderhoff and XYZ 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”). Louhimies also directs. Keshet International will launch “Conflict” at London Screenings next week, kicking off with a Q&a with Alén and Louhimies at its scripted event on Feb. 28.
“As a military unit of conscripts completes its training on Midsummer’s Eve, an unidentified enemy invades the picturesque Finnish peninsula,” reads the logline “With foreign nationals amongst the 10,000 people now held hostage in the occupied area, the U.S. President and other allies urge Finland’s newly elected President to take decisive action. Faced with the very real threat of a proxy war, President Saaristo must follow her instincts...
Produced by Backmann & Hoderhoff and XYZ 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”). Louhimies also directs. Keshet International will launch “Conflict” at London Screenings next week, kicking off with a Q&a with Alén and Louhimies at its scripted event on Feb. 28.
“As a military unit of conscripts completes its training on Midsummer’s Eve, an unidentified enemy invades the picturesque Finnish peninsula,” reads the logline “With foreign nationals amongst the 10,000 people now held hostage in the occupied area, the U.S. President and other allies urge Finland’s newly elected President to take decisive action. Faced with the very real threat of a proxy war, President Saaristo must follow her instincts...
- 2/20/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
LA-based executive joined in 2017; reports to CEO Nick Spicer.
XYZ Films has promoted Maxime Cottray from executive vice president to COO in the run-up to the American Film Market.
Cottray has played a key role in turning XYZ Films into a rounded studio and has worked closely with the principals to raise production and P&a financing for the company, including a facility with Bank of America.
As COO he will oversee financing, business affairs, and day-to-day operations, reporting to XYZ Films CEO Nick Spicer.
Since 2021 Cottray has closed the acquisition and financing of a slate of films including Berlinale...
XYZ Films has promoted Maxime Cottray from executive vice president to COO in the run-up to the American Film Market.
Cottray has played a key role in turning XYZ Films into a rounded studio and has worked closely with the principals to raise production and P&a financing for the company, including a facility with Bank of America.
As COO he will oversee financing, business affairs, and day-to-day operations, reporting to XYZ Films CEO Nick Spicer.
Since 2021 Cottray has closed the acquisition and financing of a slate of films including Berlinale...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Indie studio XYZ Films has promoted Maxime Cottray to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Cottray previously served as XYZ’s Executive Vice President. In the role, he worked closely with the studio founders to raise significant production and P&a financing for the company, including a facility with Bank of America. As COO, he will oversee financing, business affairs, and day-to-day operations and report to XYZ CEO Nick Spicer.
Since 2021, Cottray has closed the acquisition and financing of several titles such as Matthew Johnson’s Berlin competition title Blackberry and the Sundance breakout Run Rabbit Run, which was picked up by Netflix. He established a partnership with AI virtual dubbing company Flawless to acquire and release foreign language films to be “vubbed” into English. This year, he has facilitated the closing of XYZ’s first two scripted TV series, New Zealand-set Madam, starring Rachel Griffiths, and Conflict, which is shooting in Finland.
Cottray previously served as XYZ’s Executive Vice President. In the role, he worked closely with the studio founders to raise significant production and P&a financing for the company, including a facility with Bank of America. As COO, he will oversee financing, business affairs, and day-to-day operations and report to XYZ CEO Nick Spicer.
Since 2021, Cottray has closed the acquisition and financing of several titles such as Matthew Johnson’s Berlin competition title Blackberry and the Sundance breakout Run Rabbit Run, which was picked up by Netflix. He established a partnership with AI virtual dubbing company Flawless to acquire and release foreign language films to be “vubbed” into English. This year, he has facilitated the closing of XYZ’s first two scripted TV series, New Zealand-set Madam, starring Rachel Griffiths, and Conflict, which is shooting in Finland.
- 10/24/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Company also hires development producer Eveliina Mauno and promotes Janne Lähteenmäki to junior producer.
Helsinki-headquartered Yellow Film & TV has appointed Jani Hartikainen, formerly head of drama and development at MTV Oy in Finland, as chief content officer.
Hartikainen will oversee domestic and Nordic content, working out of Yellow’s Helsinki office and reporting directly to CEO Olli Haikka.
Hartikainen has recently worked on projects such as Sunday Lunch, Rantabaariand Reindeer Mafia, as well as the forthcoming big-budget series Estonia and Conflict. In addition to working at MTV, he also worked at Nelonen, Telia, CMore, Nordisk, Fox and Svensk.
Yellow...
Helsinki-headquartered Yellow Film & TV has appointed Jani Hartikainen, formerly head of drama and development at MTV Oy in Finland, as chief content officer.
Hartikainen will oversee domestic and Nordic content, working out of Yellow’s Helsinki office and reporting directly to CEO Olli Haikka.
Hartikainen has recently worked on projects such as Sunday Lunch, Rantabaariand Reindeer Mafia, as well as the forthcoming big-budget series Estonia and Conflict. In addition to working at MTV, he also worked at Nelonen, Telia, CMore, Nordisk, Fox and Svensk.
Yellow...
- 8/16/2023
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Mr. Robot has finished its run. I’ll go into the finale in more depth when I review it but my general consensus is that the ending has made sure that Mr Robot is one of the best television shows of the 2010s. However, let’s talk about the episodes leading up to the stunning finale.
First is 4×08. As this is episode that immediately followed a very emotional and crushing revelation prior about Elliot’s father, it needed a solid aftermath. The episode is called ‘Request Timeout’ and it’s no wonder why Elliot needs one. He’s only in half of it. Elliot and Krista get out of her home before Vera’s goons find them in the same room as Vera’s dead body. However, this is only the start as Krista says: Elliot needs to find a way to keep going in the face of finding out he was sexually abused.
First is 4×08. As this is episode that immediately followed a very emotional and crushing revelation prior about Elliot’s father, it needed a solid aftermath. The episode is called ‘Request Timeout’ and it’s no wonder why Elliot needs one. He’s only in half of it. Elliot and Krista get out of her home before Vera’s goons find them in the same room as Vera’s dead body. However, this is only the start as Krista says: Elliot needs to find a way to keep going in the face of finding out he was sexually abused.
- 1/2/2020
- by Xenia Grounds
- Nerdly
As the Deus Group crumbles, Dom and Darlene must wrestle with the question of who they want to become in Mr. Robot's brave new world.
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This Mr. Robot review contains spoilers.
Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 10
Last week, Mr. Robot gave us its best episode of the season – an intense and stressful hour that saw Elliot and Darlene finally triumph over Whiterose and the villainous Deus Group. That the series chooses to follow up that installment with a meandering character piece in which Elliot only appears for five minutes is a perfect example of both the best and worst of Mr. Robot season 4 all at once.
As an individual episode, “Gone” is pretty solid. It’s focused almost exclusively on the series’ women, and provides some much-needed context to the emotional journeys both Dom and Darlene have been on this season. It’s the first episode that’s...
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This Mr. Robot review contains spoilers.
Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 10
Last week, Mr. Robot gave us its best episode of the season – an intense and stressful hour that saw Elliot and Darlene finally triumph over Whiterose and the villainous Deus Group. That the series chooses to follow up that installment with a meandering character piece in which Elliot only appears for five minutes is a perfect example of both the best and worst of Mr. Robot season 4 all at once.
As an individual episode, “Gone” is pretty solid. It’s focused almost exclusively on the series’ women, and provides some much-needed context to the emotional journeys both Dom and Darlene have been on this season. It’s the first episode that’s...
- 12/9/2019
- Den of Geek
The Deus Group hack is underway as Mr. Robot delivers a thrilling midseason episode that feels like a series finale.
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This Mr. Robot review contains spoilers.
Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 9
After nearly a half dozen episodes of Mr. Robot Season 4 spinning in place, “Conflict” finally gives us the promised showdown between Elliot and Whiterose that we’ve all been waiting for.
The result? The best and most satisfying episode of the season to date.
For the past few weeks, Mr. Robot has done pretty much everything but tell the story the season premiere initially promised. We’ve had holiday-themed detours involving sparkling winter forests and drunk Santas, random dates, kidnappings, betrayals and an entire hour devoted to the revelation that Elliot’s multiple personality disorder is a product of sexual abuse at the hands of his father. All of these stories, taken individually, have been fairly fascinating and compelling,...
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This Mr. Robot review contains spoilers.
Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 9
After nearly a half dozen episodes of Mr. Robot Season 4 spinning in place, “Conflict” finally gives us the promised showdown between Elliot and Whiterose that we’ve all been waiting for.
The result? The best and most satisfying episode of the season to date.
For the past few weeks, Mr. Robot has done pretty much everything but tell the story the season premiere initially promised. We’ve had holiday-themed detours involving sparkling winter forests and drunk Santas, random dates, kidnappings, betrayals and an entire hour devoted to the revelation that Elliot’s multiple personality disorder is a product of sexual abuse at the hands of his father. All of these stories, taken individually, have been fairly fascinating and compelling,...
- 12/1/2019
- Den of Geek
Tab Hunter, the 1950s epitome of the blond Hollywood heartthrob and teen icon pin-up, whose career included early A-list fare like Damn Yankees! and Battle Cry to later (much later) cult classics Polyester, Lust in the Dust, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and authorship of a memoir in part describing his life as a closeted gay movie star, has died. He was 86.
Hunter came out as gay with his 2005 autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star – later the basis for Jeffrey Schwarz’ 2015 Netflix documentary Tab Hunter Confidential – clearing up longstanding Hollywood rumors that. Since his ’80s resurgence in the John Waters and Paul Bartel films costarring Divine, Hunter had relaxed into a more self-amused, even self-deprecating attitude about the vast chasm between the man born Arthur Gelien in 1931 and the teen idol manufactured and rechristened Tab Hunter by Henry Willson, the agent behind such creatively named Hollywood hunks as Rock Hudson,...
Hunter came out as gay with his 2005 autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star – later the basis for Jeffrey Schwarz’ 2015 Netflix documentary Tab Hunter Confidential – clearing up longstanding Hollywood rumors that. Since his ’80s resurgence in the John Waters and Paul Bartel films costarring Divine, Hunter had relaxed into a more self-amused, even self-deprecating attitude about the vast chasm between the man born Arthur Gelien in 1931 and the teen idol manufactured and rechristened Tab Hunter by Henry Willson, the agent behind such creatively named Hollywood hunks as Rock Hudson,...
- 7/9/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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