Queen Heist, is a fast-paced comedy written and created by Cristal Snow, directed by his sibling Viivi Huuska, and produced by Max Malka. The series follows brothers Aapo and Eetu who, after losing their jobs at a small-town sausage factory, accidentally stumble into a life of drag-fuelled criminal escapades. Joined by their childhood friends, they become amateur thieves in amateur drag, on a road to unexpected self-discovery. The project grew creatively as part of Banijay Bootcamp, a development and writer programme designed to accelerate new scripted ideas from labels across Banijay Entertainment.
Alongside the series, Banijay Finland is unveiling the development of a romcom feature film, The Good Widow, a liberating, unconventional take on late-life love and desire. Written and directed by Josefina Rautiainen, whose critically acclaimed debut feature How to Shout picked up two industry nominations, The Good Widow will be produced by Minna Virkajärvi. Blending sharp humour and inter-generational chemistry, the film follows Mirja, a 72-year-old widow who defies family and community expectations by forming an unexpected relationship with a much younger man she meets online.
Max Malka, Creative Director, Scripted at Banijay Finland says: “We are ambitiously building a scripted portfolio defined by boldly creative projects, and these two original stories highlight how distinctive Finland can be. With Queen Heist, Cristal has delivered a joyful romp that was bolstered creatively at Banijay Bootcamp, then commissioned by Yle. Meanwhile, Minna is shaping The Good Widow into a surprisingly funny comedy about choosing life, and romance, on your own terms. Both titles have the confidence and energy to cut through, with the potential to engage audiences in Finland and beyond.”
Banijay Finland’s premium scripted slate spans series and feature films, including popular crime titles like Murder in Hanko and Detective Maria Kallio, comedies such as Supporting Actor, and the YA dance-drama Dance Brothers. The company’s mission is to tell entertaining and meaningful stories in a responsible and diverse way, for local and international audiences.
Banijay Entertainment is Europe’s number one studio in scripted, with over 60 labels across the footprint, producing over 110 titles annually. Its global portfolio includes Peaky Blinders, The Buccaneers, Mrs Playbook, Motor Valley, Montmartre, Carême, A Remarkable Place to Die, The Gardener and the Culpa trilogy. The Nordic slate features Fallen, My Brother, Billionaire’s Island, Still Breathing, Wallander and The Diary of a Ditched Girl.
Banijay Bootcamp, led by Steve Matthews, Head of Scripted, Creative, is a creative programme for scripted talent, facilitating collaborative storytelling by pairing in-house development staff with writers in a dynamic residency.
