Finnish actor Mikko Nousiainen, who starred in local blockbuster The Restless will play Finnish historical legend Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in a $14.7m (Euros 10m) biopic, which will mark the return to Finland of Finnish/Hollywood director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2: Die Harder).
Principal photography for the film has been scheduled for August 2008. It will be staged as a Finnish-Russian co-production by Finnish producer Markus Selin, of Solar Films, who has secured $1.6m (Euros 1.1m) finance from non-film industry partners as well as backing from the Mannerheim Memorial Medal.
Scripted by Heikki Vihinen, Mannerheim - the largest feature film project so far in Finland - depicts the life of the Swedish-speaking nobleman, who served the Russian Tsar, before he returned to Finland in 1917 to become the father and later president of his country. Mannerheim was commander-in-chef of the Finnish army between 1939-1944.
'We have been working on the project since nine years ago when we agreed to collaborate with the Champion of Liberty Association to make a proper film about Mannerheim,' Selin says. 'First we planned for a major international epic with a foreign cast. When it was dropped we decided we wouldn't go low-budget, definitely not under Eu10 million.'
'Financing was less difficult than I had anticipated; Mannerheim is apparently as famous in Russia as he is in Finland,' added Selin, who has backed almost 50 features.
Principal photography for the film has been scheduled for August 2008. It will be staged as a Finnish-Russian co-production by Finnish producer Markus Selin, of Solar Films, who has secured $1.6m (Euros 1.1m) finance from non-film industry partners as well as backing from the Mannerheim Memorial Medal.
Scripted by Heikki Vihinen, Mannerheim - the largest feature film project so far in Finland - depicts the life of the Swedish-speaking nobleman, who served the Russian Tsar, before he returned to Finland in 1917 to become the father and later president of his country. Mannerheim was commander-in-chef of the Finnish army between 1939-1944.
'We have been working on the project since nine years ago when we agreed to collaborate with the Champion of Liberty Association to make a proper film about Mannerheim,' Selin says. 'First we planned for a major international epic with a foreign cast. When it was dropped we decided we wouldn't go low-budget, definitely not under Eu10 million.'
'Financing was less difficult than I had anticipated; Mannerheim is apparently as famous in Russia as he is in Finland,' added Selin, who has backed almost 50 features.
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