14/08/2024 - Based on Finland's national epic of the same name, the film produced by Reel Media and Storm Inc. will star Elias Salonen and Eero Aho in the leading roles

Actors Eero Aho and Elias Salonen (© SF Studios)

Last week, SF Studios announced the making of a new feature helmed by Finnish filmmaker Antti J Jokinen (Helene [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Purge [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), titled Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo. The project, set to commence filming in Nurmes, North Karelia in mid-September, is a big screen adaptation of the Finnish national epic poem Kalevala, compiled by Elias Lönnrot and consisting of Karelian and Finnish folklore and mythology. In detail, the picture will explore the themes of “grace, the longing for a meaningful life, self-discovery, revenge, and the love of one’s family.”

Set in the 1100s in North Karelia, it will be mainly shot in the aforementioned Nurmes, where extensive period-appropriate sets will be built including houses, storehouses, and courtyards. 

The cast is led by Elias Salonen (Adults, Siege), who will star as Kullervo, and Jussi-award-winner Eero Aho (The Unknown Soldier [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Helene), who will portray Untamo. Other confirmed cast members are Ilkka Koivula starring as Wäinö, Olli Rahkonen as Ilmarinen, Krista Kosonen as Ilmarinen’s wife, and Johannes Holopainen as Kalervo. 

“It is with great pride that we at SF Studios participate in bringing this local power story to the audience. The title and the production call for a lot of expectations, demands, and excitement. The collaborative effort with Reel Media and Antti Jokinen has been outstanding, promising an extraordinary cinematic experience for Finnish screens,” says Yaba Holst, executive producer at SF Studios.

“Kalevala is a dream project for REinvent. Antti is such an incredible director and we feel confident that he will master the execution of this epic action film based on the Nordic myth, Kalevala. We can’t wait to show the first images to buyers at AFM later this year,” adds Rikke Ennis, CEO of Denmark's REinvent International Sales, the outfit in charge of the film's international sales.

Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo is being produced by Johanna Enäsuo and Marko Röhr for Reel Media (Finland) with Jokinen’s own banner Storm Inc. (Finland). The feature is made in collaboration with SF Studios, the Finnish Film Foundation and Yleisradio. It also received backing from the North Karelia Cooperative Society (PKO), the Nordisk Film & TV Fond and the Regional Council of North Karelia. SF Studios will distribute it in the Nordic countries with a release in Finnish cinemas slated for early 2026.