The family series based on Tove Appelgren’s bestselling books is set to air across the Nordics on Yle, SVT, DR and NRK.

Exclusive: Helsinki-based Långfilm Productions who acquired rights to the Vesta-Linnéa book series, is spearheading the ambitious 12x12’ series, co-produced by Aurora Studios.

Translated into 13 languages, Appelgren’s book series featuring the headstrong young girl Vesta Linnéa, has been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Junior Prize and captured the minds and hearts of countless Finnish-Swedish families according to director Anna Blom.

“Our goal is to create a series that will be interesting for many generations to come, and that families with children can watch over and over again,” said the director, referring to the universal themes, such as friendship, love, grief, envy and stress, seen through the eyes of an 8-year old girl.

Child actors cast in the title roles are Livia Ahlström as Vesta-Linnéa, Anton Reivilä as her elder brother, and Mona Nousiainen as her younger sister.

In the adult roles are Sophia Heikkilä (Invisible Heroes) as Vesta-Linnéa’s mother, and Ylva Ekblad (Idiomatic) as her grand-mother. Completing the cast are Peter Kanerva (Bordertown), Fredrik Hallgren (The Bonus Family) and Marika Parkkomäki (Black Widows).

Producer Mads Långbacka reckons the series will be a major international breakthrough production for his company, set up two decades ago. Earlier titles that had an international career include Ulrika Bengts’ Swedish/Finnish language The Disciple (2013), selected as Finland’s Foreign Language candidate at the 83rd Academy Awards.

Vesta-Linnéa has received support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Finnish Film Foundation, Business Finland, Aurora Studios’ Finnish Impact Film Fund, Svenska Kulturfonden and Konstsamfundet.

Filming started in July and will last until the end of this month. The premiere is scheduled for 2022.