YLE On Board Finnish-German Co-Pro Arctic Circle

Shooting on the crime thriller Arctic Circle, a co-production between Yellow Film & TV and Bavaria Fernsehproduktion, is set to begin in the Finnish Lapland toward the end of 2017, with YLE having taken free-TV rights for the series.

Arctic Circle is an Elise Viihde original series and will be available for streaming via the Finnish service in 2018, while free-TV rights were sold to YLE in Finland. The international co-production is set amid the icy landscapes of the Finnish Lapland. The story follows a policewoman who discovers a prostitute tied up in chains inside an old cabin in the backcountry. She also finds two more dead women on the property, leading to a murder investigation. The 10×50-minute series will be directed by Finnish-born Hannu Salonen and produced by Olli Haikka. The budget is an estimated €6.5 million ($6.9 million).

“This is the future direction we’re aiming for with our international partners, content that’s created in Finland and financed internationally,” said Milla Bruneau, executive producer at Yellow Film & TV.

Ani Korpela, the head of content, entertaining services business at Elisa, commented, “We cooperated with Yellow Film & TV to bring viewers the hit series Downshifters. And it’s great to now be able to come together on a show like Arctic Circle.”

Moritz Polter, executive producer at Bavaria Fernsehproduktion, added, “We are thrilled to join forces with Yellow Film & TV for Arctic Circle in our first Finnish-German co-production, and to have our network partners Elisa Viihde and YLE on board as well. With Hannu Salonen’s vision for this riveting story, we are sure Arctic Circle will be elevated to global success.”