Lagardère mines Arctic Circle

France’s Lagardère Studios Distribution has picked up the global sales rights to a 10-part Finnish-German crime thriller.

Arctic Circle will be pitched at Content London

Arctic Circle (10×50′), which has started filming in Lapland, is being produced by Nordic firm Yellow Film & TV and Germany’s Bavaria Fiction.

The show has an estimated €6.5m (US$6.9m) budget and was commissioned by Finnish digital firm Elisa Viihde, which is due to launch the series at the end of 2018. Finnish broadcaster YLE has taken local free TV rights.

The series follows a policewoman who discovers the bodies of two women in an old cabin and a chained-up prostitute who is later found to be carrying a virus.

It will be directed by Finnish-born and Germany-based Hannu Salonen and produced by Olli Haikka. The show comes after Yellow Film & TV, Elisa Viihde and YLE previously collaborated on relationship drama Downshifters.

Frédérik Rangé, director of acquisitions at Lagardère Studios Distribution, said the show “gathers some incredible international talents to tell a unique story that should entertain large audiences worldwide.”

Arctic Circle has been accepted into C21’s Drama Series Pitch Competition and is one of eight finalists that will be pitched at Content London at the end of this month.