ZDF explores Arctic Circle

Finnish-German copro thriller Artic Circle

German pubcaster ZDF has acquired a coproduced crime thriller series from Finland’s Yellow Film & TV and Germany’s Bavaria Fiction.

Arctic Circle (10×45′), the first drama copro between Finnish and German companies, was commissioned by Finnish digital entertainment service Elisa Viihde.

Under the title Ivalo in Finland, the series premiered worldwide on Elisa Viihde in December 2018 and will now air on ZDF next year.

Directed by Hannu Salonen (Shades of Guilt), Arctic Circle is exec produced by Milla Bruneau (Nurses) from Yellow Film & TV and Moritz Polter (Das Boot) from Bavaria Fiction.

Finnish national pubcaster YLE owns the free TV rights to the series in Finland. Lagardère Studios Distribution acts as the international distributor and Bavaria Fiction manages German-speaking rights.

Simone Emmelius, ZDF’s senior VP of international fiction, said: “Arctic Circle is an extraordinary crime series, bringing light and warmheartedness into cold and dangerous surroundings. It perfectly fits our audience‘s anticipation of ZDF’s Sunday evening slot.”