02/02/2026 - The show follows an actress and a journalist, whose private ambitions and fragile love are shattered as Finland braces for a Soviet invasion

Finnish actress Alma Pöysti - Golden Globe nominee for Fallen Leaves [+see also:
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The multilingual series is being developed for Svenska YLE (the Swedish-language branch of Finland’s public broadcaster YLE) and commercial network MTV3. Pöysti will star alongside Jakob Öhrman, Tyra Wingren, Saga Sarkola and Germany’s Merlin Rose.

Directed by Ulrika Bengts (known for the film The Disciple [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and the series Hotel Swan Helsinki), Theatre of War is produced by Erna Aalto, with Magnus Bimberg and Grace Maharaj, who is the Arvet Founder and CEO, serving as executive producers. Arvet Agency has been attached to the project since 2024, after acquiring the screen rights to Westö’s novel.

Published as Skymning 41 in Sweden, Henry & Molly in Finland, and Dusk 41 internationally, Westö’s book is set against the backdrop of World War II and the Winter War period. The story follows actress Molly Timm and journalist Henry Gunnars, whose private ambitions and fragile love are shattered as Finland braces for a Soviet invasion. While Henry is sent to the front as a war correspondent, Molly remains in bombed-out Helsinki, before joining a theatre troupe touring Sweden to raise funds for the war effort. With air raids intensifying and propaganda spreading, both are forced to confront questions of identity, responsibility and moral compromise, as their country faces the historic dilemma of aligning with Nazi Germany or risking annexation by the Soviet Union.

The limited series will be shot in Swedish, English, Finnish and German, with filming scheduled for late summer on location in Tampere, Finland, and in Sweden.

Commenting on the project, Maharaj said the series represents “a premium Nordic-international production based on the work of an internationally renowned author,” adding that Arvet’s strategy is to “invest in Nordic IP and build pan-Nordic collaborations around stories we share historically, culturally and generationally – stories that remain deeply relevant today.”

The announcement coincides with the final days of Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision industry event (27-28 January), which has also spotlighted a number of high-profile Nordic television projects in development.

The release date is yet to be confirmed.