Matti Kinnunen’s 'Revenge' among 7 upcoming Finnish shows

The seven TV series in development were pitched on Wednesday at Series Mania Forum as part of the ‘Coming from Finland’ presentation from Audiovisual Producers Finland (APFI).

The shows looking for co-financiers, range from crime thriller, psycho thriller, dramedy, political thriller, YA animated cartoon to mystery.

• The Revenge (Kosto) is co-written by seasoned writer/creator Matti Kinnunen, nominated for the 2021 Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for Cargo. Moskito Television’s Mari Kinnunen (White Wall) is executive producing for commissioning platform C More.
  
  The 8x41’ psycho thriller is set in 1990. The handsome Finn Jesse who lives in France where he studies business and lives with a wealthy elder lady, hides a violent behaviour and complex family relationships. Back in Finland, he puts together a plan to regain her mother’s attention - fully dedicated to his half-brother Otto, and to get a slice of their successful security business. “The show is not a typical revenge story. It explores an interesting mother and son relationship, as well as the feelings of exclusion and alienation,” said Kinnunen.
  The estimated delivery is set for 2023.
• Anatomy of a Lie (Erakko) is produced by Lucy Loves Drama for Elisa Viihde. Oskari Huttu (Reunion) is producing. The 6x45’ crime thriller is co-written by Timo Lehti (Secret Lives) and Teppo Nuutinen.
  
  A wilderness guide loses a client in the wilds of Lapland. During the ensuing search, she must face the repercussions of an old crime and the risk of death. To survive, she must confront the truth.
• Zero Credit is a dramedy co-created by Max Malka (Aurora) and Vilja Antiokyrö (1.5 Meters Space). Malka is producing for Endemol Shine Finland.
  
  A poor and struggling 30-something woman kidnaps a child of a wealthy family from a kinder-garden where she works.The plan goes horribly wrong when the parents announce they don’t want their child back.
• The Arctic Sea is a political thriller co-written by the UK’s Ali May with top Finnish writer Matti Laine (The Paradise), co-nominated for the Nordisk Film & TV Prize 2020. The mini-series in four episodes is produced by Minna Virtanen for Vertigo (Bullets).
  
  Inspired by true events of the hijacking of the cargo ship The Arctic Sea, the series tells the story of one of the biggest maritime puzzles since the Mary Celeste mystery. What exactly happened to the Arctic Sea, allegedly seized by pirates, not off the wild coast of Somalia but in the EU waters of the Baltic sea?
• Belzebubs is a 13x22’ 2D animated sitcom about a satanic family, based on the popular comic created by JP Ahonen. The Tampere-based comic-book artist and illustrator is developing the screenplay alongside Leo Viirret (Downshifters), Lassi Vierikko and Jenny Dahlsröm (Hooked). Terhi Väänänen of Pyjama Films is producing for Yle, in co-production with Canada’s Run with Us Productions.
  
  The mix of Addams Family meets Modern Family centres on the daily mishaps, relationships and romantic life of your average next-door, devil-worshipping family.

• Spin Control is created by stand-up comedian Kaisa Pylkkänen for top Finnish outfit Tuffi Films. Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi (Force of Habit, Stupid Young Heart) are producing. The 10-part series is a thriller about globalisation and political power in the time of social media and fast news.
• Lost Years is co-written by Johanna Sinisalo (Iron Sky), Kirsi Porkka (Deadwind) and Nina Laurio (Off the Map). Deadwind’s Dyonysos Film is producing for Elisa Viihde.
  
  The high-concept mystery drama follows two identical families with eight years apart, suddenly forced to live together and ask “How can I live with myself?” The 8x50’ series is scheduled to start filming in 2023.