Elisa Viihde commissions original spy series

Elisa Viihde, a leading streaming service in Finland, has commissioned an original spy thriller directed by AJ Annila (The Eternal Road).

Sphere of Shadows (Nyrikki, WT) is set in the 1950s and written by Katri and Kirsti Manninen.

During the 1950s, Helsinki was the focal point of the Cold War, as global powers and their intelligence agencies coalesced in the small neutral country that stood between the East and the West. Sphere of Shadows is an international spy thriller that follows a secret intelligence team whose mission is to defend the independence of Finland no matter the cost.

Production will commence in autumn 2018 and the series will be available on the platform by autumn 2019.

Teea Hyytiä and Sari Lempiäinen from Zodiak Finland will produce the series with London and Paris-based About Premium Content (APC), which will handle international distribution.

“Sphere of Shadows is inspired by true historical events, and it introduces a new genre to the range of original series on Elisa Viihde. Sphere of Shadows is a good example of the type of fascinating storytelling that we want to keep offering to our customers”, says Ani Korpela, head of content at Elisa Viihde.

Emmanuelle Guilbart, Joint-CEO and co-founder at APC adds: “APC is delighted to sign a new series from Finland, which is rapidly becoming the home of high-end drama and talent.

“We are also very happy to partner with Zodiak and Elisa Viihde, a digital entertainment service which shares our ambition and passion for quality drama.”

Sphere of Shadows marks Elisa Viihde’s latest to attempt to create a break-out hit from Finland. The streamer described this intention during the production of Nordic Noir title Arctic Circle, which it created along with Bavaria Fiction, Yellow Film & TV, and YLE.