Nordisk Film inks major deal with Finland’s MRP Matila Röhr Productions

The Scandinavian group Nordisk Film and MRP Matila Röhr Productions’ first collaboration started two decades ago and has brought to the domestic screens over 20 feature films produced and co-produced by MRP’s co-founders Marko Röhr and Ilkka Matila.

Those include Klaus Härö’s multi-awarded Mother of Mine, AJ Annila’s historical drama Eternal Road, the ‘Rölli” family franchises and the popular nature film trilogy, including the upcoming Tale of the Sleeping Giants, set to open domestically this spring.

Commenting on the new partnership, MRP CEO and producer Marko Röhr said: “I am extremely happy that we can continue our long-lasting relationship with Nordisk Film and their fantastic distribution team. This is a historical deal, since now almost 50 films by MRP will be available in the whole of Scandinavia via Nordisk. The package includes our biggest successes, our nature films and our ambitious new production slate.”

Katarina Nyman, Head of Nordisk Film Distribution Finland said the deal is “a natural continuation” of a long co-operation with Matila Röhr Productions. MRP has always been a hallmark for high quality audience content and we are thrilled that through this new deal, we will be able to help to realize and bring to the market ambitious theatrical films of premium quality with large audience potential.”

Kenneth Wiberg, senior VP at Egmont-owned Nordisk Film sees this pact as another ”strategic step” in the group’s ambition to ”be the number one content partner across the Nordics.”

MRP’s upcoming feature projects part of the deal are the following:

• The drama comedy Hamsters by Markku Pölönen (Land of Hope) is the director’s second adaptation of a celebrated novel by Veikko Huovinen after Nail Dog Clippers. The main character Hamster, a poor writer, loves to fantasise about nature disasters, and decides to rescue a lottery winner’s family from a boring life.The film produced by Röhr and Hanna Kauppi is in pre-production.
• The WW2 drama Never Alone is Klaus Härö’s latest collaboration with top screenwriter Jimmy Karlsson after Mother of Mine, and the Crystal Bear winner Elina, as if I Wasn’t There among others. The project is based on the true story of the deportation from Finland of eight Jewish asylum-seekers in 1942, and one man’s fight to help them. Producer Ilkka Matila says the high quality period piece with an estimated budget of €4.8m is scheduled to start production in 2022.

• The animated film Malcolm Rocks will be directed by Kari Juusonen (Niko & The Way to the Stars and its sequel). It’s about a small green caterpillar’s aspirations to hit it big in the rock scene. Röhr is producing with Kauppi.
• Urho is a biopic about the former Finnish president Urho Kekkonen (the longest ever in office-25 years) and his unusual friendship with a female journalist - Maarit Tyrkkö. The aging president hired her to write his memoirs which they never finished before his death. Seasoned actor/director Heikki Kujanpää (Laugh or Die) will direct from a script by Hannamaija Matila (Secret Lives, Syke), itself based on Tyrkkö’s memoirs.

MRP Matila Röhr is also actively involved in high-end TV dramas.

Their latest successful shows include the 2019 Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize winner All the Sins, 2020 nominated The Paradise, and Peacemaker.