German production group Beta Film has acquired a majority stake in Finnish film and TV production company Fisher King and simultaneously launches Swedish-based Beta Nordic Studios (BNS).
Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. BNS will serve as an umbrella for Beta Film’s production activities in Scandinavia, consisting of Finnish production company Fisher King and Dramacorp, the joint venture set up in 2016 by veteran Swedish-French drama executive Patrick Nebout and Jan Mojto’s production and distribution outlet Beta Film.
Beta Film’s EVP Justus Riesenkampff and the newly appointed CEO Martin Håkansson, a former executive at Lagardère Sports and Nice Entertainment Group, are serving as directors of BNS. The company will focus on local scripted projects with an international appeal, which can be leveraged via Beta Film’s international distribution network.
“Fisher King is a great fit because the co-founders and creators Matti Halonen and Miikko Oikkonen stand for some of the finest international drama series coming from Scandinavia,” said Riesenkampff. “We are happy to have found such an experienced and ambitious executive like Martin Håkansson to support our production activities in the Nordics.”
Håkansson added: “Despite a period of intense consolidation, there are still opportunities in the Nordic market. Fisher King is a fine example; it has succeeded in creating ratings-busting drama for the domestic market, while developing and delivering ideas strong enough to take on the world. Crucially, however, this is not an M&A strip-and-sell mission — in fact, it is the very opposite. Our mission is to combine the Nordic genius for production with Beta Film’s production experience and distribution power to create a joint venture that will deliver great, BNS-branded entertainment for years to come.”
Fisher King was founded in 2013 in Helsinki by executive producer Matti Halonen and chief visual officer Miikko Oikkonen. Several of the company’s projects have achieved global success, notably fantasy drama Nymphs and Nordic noir series Bordertown. Inspired by Greek mythology, Nymphs has sold to a vast number of territories just like Bordertown, which is currently in its third season.
