Period dramas Shadow Lines and Atlantic Crossing Attend MIPDrama Buyers’ Summit

The 10x52’ Shadow Lines (Nyrkki) is produced by Zodiak Finland for the leading local streamer Elisa Viihde. The thriller series is directed by AJ Annila (The Eternal Road) and Alli Haapasalo (Love & Fury), based on a screenplay by Katri and Kirsti Manninen (Presidentti/The President, Kansan mies/Man of the People).

The stellar Scandinavian cast includes Emmi Parviainen (Secret Lives), Olavi Uusivirta (Presidentti), Hannu-Pekka Björkman (The Human Part), Sampo Sarkola (Bullets, Bordertown), Katja Küttner (Princess), Jonna Järnefelt (Deadwind), Jessica Grabowsky (Thicker than Water, Midnight Sun), Samuli Vauramo (The Unknown Soldier) and Ivan Mathias Petersson (Gåsmamman, Maria Wern).

Set in Helsinki in the 1950s, the series is inspired by true events. It follows a secret intelligence team whose mission is to defend the independence of Finland, no matter the cost, With the upcoming presidential election in Finland, the stakes are higher than ever. Filming ends on March 29.

“There are many 1950-style restaurants, parks and street views left in Helsinki and we are proud to show international buyers how beautiful the city was at the time,” said producer Teea Hyytiä to nordicfilmandtvnews.com. The premiere on Elisa Viihde is set for this fall. Paris-based About Premium Content handles global distribution.

The 8x60’ Norwegian series Atlantic Crossing is produced by Cinenord and Beta Film for NRK. UK production company Nevision has just boarded the ambitious WW2 drama starring Kyle MacLachlan as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sofia Helin as Norwegian Crown Princess Märtha.

Creator Alexander Eik has spent six years researching the relatively unknown story of Crown Princess Märtha who fled the Nazis and lived in the White House with her three children, becoming an influential figure in world politics. Märtha and Franklin D. Roosevelt developed a deep fondness for one another, and their relationship take centre stage in the series. Eik co-wrote the screenplay with Linda May Kallestein.

Co-stars include Harriet Harris as Eleanor Roosevelt, Søren Pilmark as King Haakon VII and Tobias Santelmann as Crown Prince Olav. Filming in English and in Norwegian is currently underway in the Czech Republic and Norway.

Delivery is scheduled for late 2020 with a premiere on NRK set for early 2021. Beta Film handles global distribution. 

The MIPDrama Buyers’ Summit will kick off on Sunday April 7 with an opening lunch at the Majestic Hotel, ahead of a ‘Trends and Insights’ session hosted by K7 Media at the Palais des Festivals, followed by 15-minute previews of the ten projects selected “for their writing and production values, originality and worldwide appeal”.  Other premium series to be pitched are: 

• Costa del Sol (Telecinco/Netflix, Spain) 
• Dangerous moms (Mediaset /Telecinco, Spain) 
• Hide & Seek (ICTV Ukraine) 
• Made in Italy (Canale 5, Italy)
• I AM (Channel 4, UK)
•  The Gulf War (Three New Zealand, Nine Australia/ZDF Germany) 
• The Middleman (Arte/BETV, France)
•  World on Fire (BBC One, UK)

For further information, check: www.miptv.com