Magma Films are currently in pre-production with a follow up feature to the EFA nominated co-production ‘Niko and the Way to the Stars’. The follow up film, ‘Niko: A Family Affair’ is to go in to production in July of this year and is due for completion in April 2012. Magma Films will co-produce the new feature alongside Finland’s Animaker Oy, Denmark’s A-Film and Germany’s Ulysses Films plan.
Written by Hannu Tuomainen (One Way Ticket to Mombasa) and Marteinn Thorisson (Summer of the Flying Saucer), ‘Niko: A Family Affair’ will follow Niko, a young reindeer boy whose previous exploits saw him go on a search to find his father, a member of Santa’s Flying Reindeer Squad. The director on board for the project is Kari Juusonen (The Flight Before Christmas) and the film will be distributed in Finland by Nordisk Film.
The feature’s budget is €7,361,000 of which it has received €800,000 from the Finnish Film Foundation alongside €150,000 from the Irish Film Board. Other funding sources include TV networks YLE and TV2 Denmark.
The Irish producers involved with the project are Magma Films’ Moe Honan (Ooops Noah is Gone!) and Ralph Christians (The Ugly Duckling and Me) who is one of the film’s executive producers. Irish distribution details are TBC. ‘Niko & The Way to the Stars’ proved a huge hit, selling to over 100 countries, receiving IFTA and EFA nominations and nabbing two Ciekid awards in 2009.
