Finland’s Take Two Studios strikes financing deal, plans ‘Hildur’ adaptation

Lasse Koskinen

Finnish producer Take Two Studios has inked a multi-year, multi-project financing deal with local venture capital fund manager IPR.VC.

The agreement will see IPR.VC finance the development of a minimum of 12 projects, with the first to come out of the deal being a series based on the crime novel Hildur, written by Satu Rämö.

Bonnier Rights Finland represents Rämö with the option deal negotiated by Eleonoora Kirk at Bonnier Rights Finland and COO Sara Norberg at Take Two Studios.

The book tells the story of Hildur Rúnarsdóttir, a woman troubled by both her traumatic childhood and the burden of the cases occupying her mind as head of the missing children’s unit of the Ísafjörður police in Iceland. Take Two will shoot the series in Iceland with an Icelandic co-production partner to be announced shortly.

As the first in a trilogy, the publishing rights to Hildur have already been sold to several territories including Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Latvia.

Take Two Studios was founded by former Aito Media co-founder Eero Hietala and Lasse Koskinen, together with Sara Norberg as chief operating officer, last year. It recently announced its first investment deal, with Intervisio, the producer behind the Staraoke kids’ game show format, becoming a minority shareholder.

The company also recently struck a deal with UK based financing and distribution company Rainmaker Content who will engage in an advisory role on programming and strategy, and take a first look on all Take Two output. The first collaboration from the new partnership is a commission from Nelonen/Ruutu for scripted series Dirty Snow (6 x 42 mins).

IPR.VC, meanwhile. is a Finnish private equity investor backed by Nordic institutional investors investing in North American and European entertainment content with its funds primarily focused in the media and entertainment sectors.

Koskinen said: ‘From setting up the company, going into production on our first series to the ringing endorsements we’ve had in terms of support, investment and strategy in the last quarter, we’re fully armoured to achieve our ambitions.

“This deal with IPR.VC is particular as it allows us to independently take significant steps in developing our international slate further and quicker. IPR.VC is well known for only creating long term collaborations with exceptional entrepreneurs and operators in the sector.”