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Lionsgate is teaming up with Stage 6 Films, Subzero Film Entertainment, and Good Chaos to give the World War II action movie Sisu, a Finnish production, a theatrical release in the United States on April 28th – and with that date just a couple months away, a trailer for Sisu has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Written and directed by Jalmari Helander, who previously brought us the 2010 fantasy horror film Rare Exports and the 2014 Samuel L. Jackson action movie Big Game, Sisu has the following synopsis: During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means:...

Lionsgate emerged victorious from a competitive bidding war over Finnish film “Sisu,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews.

The Midnight Madness favorite will be released in U.S. theaters on a to-be-announced date. Sony’s Stage 6 Films financed the film and will handle international rights, with the exception of Nordics, which are held by Nordisk Film.

Written and directed by Jalmari Helander, “Sisu” begins in 1945 when ex-soldier Aatami (Jorma Tommila) discovers a golden treasure trove buried in the Finnish wilderness. On his way back into the city, a group of Nazis find his fortune, kicking into motion an outrageous, bloody revenge plot to recover what was stolen from him. Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo and Onni Tommila co-star.

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The film is produced by Petri Jokiranta on behalf of Subzero Film Entertainment,...

Exclusive: After receiving rave reviews from its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival which instigated a bidding war, Sony’s Stage 6 Finnish feature Sisu has been scooped up by Lionsgate. The film will receive a theatrical release at some point in the future.

The movie is from filmmaker Jalmari Helander and follows Aatami, an ex-soldier in 1945 who discovers gold in the deep wilderness of Finland while on his way into the city. Brutal Nazis on a scorched-earth mission discover his treasure trove. He must go through outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi. Aatami is portrayed by the filmmaker’s long-time collaborator Jorma Tommila.

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Quentin Dupieux awarded screenplay prize ex-aequo with himself for Smoking Causes Coughing and Incredible But True.

Finnish production Sisu directed by Jalmari Helander took the main award at the 55th edition of Sitges, marking the director’s second time winning the prestigious Catalan genre event’s best feature award after his 2010 selection Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.

Helander’s third feature also earned best actor at Europe’s biggest genre film festival for Jorma Tommila, cinematography for Kjell Lagerroos, and music for Juri Seppä and Tuomas Wäinölä. Handled by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (excluding Nordics), the Second World War survival...

Nordisk Film has acquired Nordic rights.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired worldwide rights (excluding Nordics) to Jalmari Helander’s WWII action film Immortal (Sisu), in advance of production beginning later this year.

Nordisk Film has acquired Nordic rights.

Finnish director Helander plans to shoot the new film in Lapland, Finland in September.

The story is set in 1945, about an ex-soldier (Jorma Tommila) who discovers gold in the Lapland wilderness; when he tries to take the loot into the city, Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer (Peaky Blinders’ Paul Anderson) battle him.

Petri Jokiranta – who also produced Helander...

Paul Anderson, who stars as Arthur Shelby in TV hit Peaky Blinders, is set to next star in WWII action movie Immortal.

Jalmari Helander, the Finnish filmmaker behind Rare Exports and Big Game, will direct the film, which will start shooting in Lapland, Finland, in September of this year.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Spwa) has swooped on world rights outside Nordic, and Nordisk Film has taken Nordic rights.

Set in 1945, Immortal tells the story of ex-soldier Aatami, played by Helander’s long-time collaborator Jorma Tommila, who discovers gold in the deep wilderness of Lapland. When he attempts to take his loot into the city, a squadron of Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer (Paul Anderson) get in his way and a battle for the gold ensues between the lone soldier and the Nazis.

Petri Jokiranta, who has also produced Helander´s two previous films, is producing the film through Subzero Film Entertainment.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has swooped on world rights, outside Nordic, for Jalmari Helander’s World War II action film “Immortal.” Jorma Tommila and “Peaky Blinders” star Paul Anderson go head-to-head in the film, which is set to shoot in Lapland, Finland, in September. Nordisk Film has taken Nordic rights to the film.

Set in 1945, “Immortal” tells the story of ex-soldier Aatami (Tommila), who discovers gold in the deep wilderness of Lapland. When he attempts to take his loot into the city, a squadron of Nazi soldiers led by a brutal SS officer (Anderson) get in his way and a battle for the gold ensues between the lone soldier and the Nazis.

“To make an action film in Finland has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old,” Helander said. “Finally I am in a situation where I can fulfill my dream and make an epic, action-packed survival...

The producers came together for a Scandinavian Films webinar at the virtual Berlinale.

How producers can navigate the disruption of streaming platforms, put together cross-border productions during Covid and why the UK’s exit from the European Union may have a positive impact on UK-European co-productions were among the topics chewed over during an online talk at the virtual Berlinale called ’Joining Forces: Collaborating for Strong Co-Productions’.

Hosted by Scandinavian Films, the panel aimed to offer practical advice from producers and players behind high-profile, Nordic-based pan-European co-productions including Flee, Triangle Of Sadness and Compartment No 6.

For London-based producer and former...

Title: Big Game Relativity Studios Director: Jalmari Helander Writer: Jalmari Helander and Petri Jokiranta Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Onni Tommila, Ray Stevenson, Victor Garber, Mehmet Kurtulus, Ted Levine, Jorma Tommila, Risto Salmi, Felicity Huffman, Jim Broadbent Running time: 110 min, Rated PG-13 (Violence) In select theaters, Digital HD and On Demand June 26, 2015 Samuel L. Jackson is U.S. Presdient  William Alan Moore whom is flying on Air Force One on his way to a summit in Helsinki Finland with his secret service. Morris (Ray Stevenson), head of the secret service is on his last journey; forced to retire after a debilitating gunshot wound he sustained while protecting President Moore. Little  [ Read More ]

The post Big Game Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Exclusive: Another long night of deal-making will lead to a big $4 million EuropaCorp deal for Big Game, the Jalmari Helander-directed and -scripted film that stars Samuel L. Jackson as the President of the United States, who finds himself in the most unusual position. When Air Force One is downed by terrorists, the fate of the most powerful man on the planet lies in the hands of a 13-year-old boy. EuropaCorp makes this its first big acquisition since joint-venturing in the distribution pipeline Red, as Luc Besson and Christophe Lambert plan to control the release and marketing of its prolific volume of action films.

The deal is for U.S. rights, and it comes days after the film premiered to high praise in the Midnight Madness section. Multiple suitors have been chasing the film since its premiere, and EuropaCorp was particularly aggressive. The intriguing thing is that unlike most of Jackson’s films,...

When watching the trailer for Big Game, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had accidentally and unknowingly wandered over onto the Funny Or Die website. Surely, this can’t be a real movie trailer, can it? I mean, just listen to that dialogue! But, this is a real movie trailer. It’s a very real movie trailer featuring Samuel L. Jackson – doing his best Samuel L. Jackson parody – as the President of the United States, trapped in what can only be described as a chest freezer, in the woods.

Cast your eye over the official synopsis:

“Oskari, a timid 13 year old, anxiously awaits his fate. Tradition dictates that, like his forefathers before him, the boy’s time has come to spend one day and one night alone in the wilderness. Armed with a bow and arrow, he must return with a prize to prove himself to be a man.

Big Game

Director: Jalmari Helander

Writers: Jalmari Helander, Petri Jokiranta

Producers: Altitude Film Entertainment, Cinet, Egoli Tossell Film, Subzero Film Entertainment

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Samuel Jackson, Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson, Ted Levine, Onni Tummila, Felicity Huffman

After creating a new cult Christmas film with his 2010 debut, Rare Exports: A Christmas Story, the Finnish director should finally be unleashing a follow-up this year with an equally intriguing sounding project featuring an American president played by Samuel Jackson, who must seek help with an adolescent boy in the woods. Helander describes the project as an epic adventure film. Count us in.

Gist: A young teenager camping in the woods helps rescue the President of the United States when Air Force One is shot down near his campsite. br>

Release Date: While Rare Exports premiered at Locarno, Helander’s latest should land a high profile premiere somewhere, perhaps SXSW or a later fall fest.

Felicity Huffman, Victor Garber and Ted Levine have joined Samuel Jackson on the set of Jalmari Helander’s Big Game.

Altitude Film Sales handles international rights and represents North America with Wme. eOne will release in the UK, Ascot Elite in German-speaking territories and Nordisk in Scandinavia.

Onni Tommila, Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson and Mehmet Kurtulus round out the key cast on the adventure tale about a young teenager who must save the President after Air Force One gets shot down in the wilderness.

The Finnish-German-uk co-production is nearing the end of its eight-week shoot on locations across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.

Petri Jokiranta of Subzero is producing with Will Clarke and Andy Mayson for Altitude Film Entertainment and Jens Meurer of Egoli Tossell Film. Alex Garland serves as executive producer.

Financiers include Finnish Film Foundation, Yle, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Visionplus Fund, Bavarian Film Partners, Bavarian Film and Television Fund, German Federal...

Below is the first image from the set of Jalmari Helander’s Big Game featuring Samuel L. Jackson as The President of the USA and Onni Tommila as his 13-year old sidekick Oskari. An adrenaline-fuelled action adventure, Big Game is written and directed by Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale) and is nearing the end of its eight-week shooton locations across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.

When Air Force One is shot down by terrorists leaving the President of the United States stranded in the wilderness, there is only one person around who can save him – a 13-year old boy called Oskari. In the forest on a hunting mission to prove his maturity to his kinsfolk, Oskari had been planning to track down a deer, but instead discovers the most powerful man on the planet in an escape pod. With the terrorists closing in to capture their own “Big Game” prize,...

First image released of stars Samuel L Jackson and Onni Tommila.

Felicity Huffman, Victor Garber and Ted Levine have now joined the cast of Jalmari Helander’s Big Game.

As previously reported, Samuel L Jackson and 13-year-old Onni Tommila lead the cast. They are pictured in this first image from the film. The cast also features Jim Broadbent, Ray Stevenson and Mehmet Kurtulus.

Big Game has shot for eight weeks on locations across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.

Jackson plays the Us president, whose plane is shot down. He is stranded in the wilderness with only a 13-year-old boy to help him evade the terrorists.

A Finnish-German-uk co-production, Petri Jokiranta produces for Subzero, alongside Will Clarke and Andy Mayson for Altitude Film Entertainment, with Jens Meurer of Egoli Tossell Film as the German producer.

Alex Garland serves as executive producer.

The financiers include Finnish Film Foundation; Yle; Nordisk Film & TV Fond; Visionplus Fund; Bavarian Film Partners...

Last seen on the big screen in Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Samuel L. Jackson has an incredibly busy upcoming slate, and will star in a slew of next year’s biggest films. Amongst his many credits for 2014 is Big Game, an action-adventure blockbuster that sees him take on the role of the President of the United States.

The eight-week shoot is close to wrapping, and now the first image of Jackson opposite the young Onni Tommila has been released.

When Air Force One is shot down by terrorists leaving The President of the United States stranded in the wilderness, there is only person around who can save him – a 13-year-old boy called Oskari.

In the forest on a hunting mission to prove his maturity to his kinsfolk, Oskari had been planning to track down a deer, but instead discovers the most powerful man on the planet in an escape pod.

Cast including Jim Broadbent and Ray Stevenson added to action adventure starring Samuel L Jackson, which begins shooting this week.

Principal photography is to begin tomorrow [Sept 12] on action adventure feature Big Game, starring Samuel L Jackson at the Us President alongside Onni Tommila as his surprise teen sidekick.

New cast additions include Jim Broadbent, last seen in Cloud Atlas, Closed Circuit and Le Week-End, and fellow British actor Ray Stevenson, known for roles in Thor and GI Joe: Retaliation.

Also joining the cast is German actor Mehmet Kurtulus (Short Sharp Shock).

Big Game will shoot for eight weeks on locations across Bavaria and at Bavaria Film Studios.

The film follows Oskari (Tommila), a shy 13-year old boy who ventures into a vast local forest, armed only with a bow and arrow and the aim of returning with a prize to prove himself.

But when Air Force One is shot down by terrorists, Oskari discovers...

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Stars: Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Tommi Korpela, Rauno Juvonen | Written by Jalmari Helander, Juuso Helander, Petri Jokiranta and Sami Parkkinen | Directed by Jalmari Helander

Driven by his curiosity regarding a supposed archeological excavation located on a mountain near his remote rural home, young and adventurous Pietari stumbles upon the shocking, ugly truth about the being known the world over as Santa Claus. Local legend suggests the jolly old man in the red suit was in reality a supernatural creature that, rather than rewarding children for being good, severely punished those who were naughty. When a large herd of reindeer on which Pietari’s father depends for his livelihood is found slaughtered, the townsfolk suspect it is the work of hungry wolves that have crossed into the area from the nearby slopes. But when all the local children mysteriously disappear overnight, Pietari fears the scientists...

Filmmakers have continued to push boundaries and find new innovative ways to elicit the emotions of fear, disgust and horror from viewers. Since Alfred Hitchcock directors strived to provoke viewer’s nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Although a good deal of it is about the supernatural, others have focused more on a plot about morbidity, serial killers, a disease/virus outbreak, surrealism and more. This year we see vampires, outbreaks, poltergeists, aliens, zombies, and psychological horror/character studies featured on our list.

What is considered to be a horror film has varied from decade to decade. These days, the term “horror” is applied to films which display more explicit gore, jump scenes/scares or supernatural content whereas early horror movies were largely based on classic literature of the gothic/horror genre, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Directed by Jalmari Helander

Written by Petri Jokiranta & Sami Parkkinen

Finland | Norway | France | Sweden – 2010

Every once in a while, a filmmaker will get the idea to explore the seedier side of the holiday season. Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, from 1973, might have been the first, and might still be the best, countering the idea of the Christmas homestead as a place of peaceful, communal gathering through a particularly depraved twist. Since Clark’s movie, other cinematic attempts to send up Christmas have tended either towards the openly horrific (the Silent Night, Deadly Night flicks, the Black Christmas remake) or the lightly satirical (Christmas Vacation, and another Clark movie: A Christmas Story). Finland’s Rare Exports: a Christmas Tale falls somewhere in between, opting to conjure up a sinister new vision of Santa Claus (albeit one with its roots in Finnish popular culture) but...

TORONTO -- A millennia-spanning martial arts epic, fusing folk legends from China and (of all places) Finland, Jade Warrior certainly has a curiosity factor going for it as it steps into the swordplay-and-wire-fu arena. The hybrid is less exotic on screen than on paper, though, unspooling in an overserious muddle that won't have broad appeal in the U.S. market, though one can imagine it appealing to Finnish audiences hungry for their own genre blockbuster.

Bouncing between 2000 B.C. and the present day, the story involves three eternally reincarnated characters and the magic box they seek to control. Made by a master blacksmith using way-ahead-of-his-time technology, the box is a machine designed to produce "happiness and welfare" for a whole society. Inexplicably, its maker never turned the thing on.

Instead he entrusted it to Sintai, "the son of the smith," decreeing that it be opened "only when most needed." Four thousand years and a few fairly nasty wars later, things evidently haven't gotten bad enough.

Playing Sintai and his modern counterpart Kai, Tommi Eronen employs a special talent for looking dumbstruck. Kai doesn't know about his past lives, and cares more about reuniting with his girlfriend Ronja than about the fantastic tale a stranger (a junk dealer who came across the artifact and recognized its significance) is telling him.

A good deal of exposition time is given to spelling out a sketchy mythology about an apocalypse-bent patriarch and his brood of sons bearing names like Death and Fear. There's something about a final, unnamed son, hinting at secret identities and revelations to come, but things are confusing enough already. Back in 2000 B.C., Sintai and his comrade at arms are in love with the same woman, and both use the same seduction technique: a hybrid between dance and hand-to-hand combat that may sound sexy but looks pretty silly onscreen.

In between turgid metallurgical metaphors about the shape of the cosmos, Warrior offers some cliched hyper-dramatic standoffs and slow-mo acrobatics. The action isn't nearly sufficient to carry all the mumbo-jumbo, and the cast doesn't have enough charisma to keep the script afloat on their own. Director and co-writer Antti-Jussi Annila sets up a couple of Zhang Yimou-emulating CGI shots -- one where action kicks up a whirlpool of dried leaves, another with Kai pounding on an anvil as glowing embers storm around him -- that try awfully hard but fail to generate an emotional reaction. By the end, it's a little hard to figure out whether the hero got what he wanted or not -- and harder still to care.

JADE WARRIOR (JADE SOTURI)

No U.S. Distributor

Blind Spot Pictures

Credits: '

Director: Antti-Jussi Annila

Writers: Antti-Jussi Annila, Petri Jokiranta, based on the story by Iiro Kuttner

Producers: Petri Jokiranta, Tero Kaukomaa

Executive producers: Peter Loehr, San Fu Maltha, Margus Ounapuu

Director of photography: Henri Blomberg

Production designer: Jukka Uusitalo

Costumes: Anna Vilppunen

Music: Kimmo Pohjonen, Samuli Kosminen

Editor: Iikka Hesse.

Cast: Kai/Sintai: Tommi Eronen

Berg: Markku Peltola

Pin Yu: Zhang Jing-chu

Ronja: Krista Kosonen

No MPAA rating

Running time -- 102 minutes...