Trash

Finnish animation studio Anima Vitae ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Or monsters. 

The company behind the successful trilogy about Niko the Reindeer – “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights” sold almost 3 million tickets globally – is developing 3D animations “Eek! Ghosts!” and “Trash Monsters.” 

Based on beloved books by Mauri Kunnas, “Eek! Ghosts!” follows two trick-or-treating kids who end up at a party hosted by actual ghosts and monsters. Oops. 

“Families love these stories because of their warmth and humor in them. The original IP is really strong – the books have been read by many generations in Finland, Europe and even in Japan,” said Anima Vitae’s CEO Antti Haikala. 

Paying respect to Kunnas’ “rich illustrations,” full of little details and jokes, proved challenging at first.  

“It has taken a while to transform this into animation. We’ve been working with Mauri on multiple shorter projects now and we’ve found a way to bring the spirit of the books into films, and to capture the spark of his original work.”      

Haikala added: “Creating ‘safe excitement’ for families and telling meaningful stories is key, and Mauri’s stories already have these attributes. They can be just silly, but they often examine how instead of being scared you can actually learn something.”

Same can be said for “Trash Monsters,” also looming on the horizon. 

In the film, a girl accidentally creates a monster out of trash. Soon, she befriends him and can lean on him also when facing big dangers on her grandmother’s island – one that’s on the verge of ecological catastrophe. 

“We would like to find partners from south-east Asia as the story is located in that region,” he stressed. An original story, “Trash Monsters” comes from Australian writer-producer Joseph Taylor, based in Bali.

Nordic stories often combine darkness and humor. For Anima Vitae, it feels “natural to follow this path.”    

“It all boils down to never underestimating your audience. Kids will need to face many of these themes as they grow up. We want them to experience them through our films, in a fun setting,” said Haikala. They also recently premiered “Fleak” at Annecy. The film be released in the U.S. by Impossible Dream Entertainment and The Fithian Group’s theatrical distribution unit Attend.   

Director and scriptwriter Kari Juusonen, who also helmed the “Niko” movies, is working on story development for both projects. Screenwriter Leo Viirret will work on “Ghosts,” while art director Mikko Pitkänen (“Niko” and “Fleak“) is overseeing both titles. 

The success of “Niko” allowed the company to experiment a little, especially while “testing the boundaries of what content can be produced within the family space.”

“At the same time, we need to be mindful of our audience. Our films only matter if the audience sees them. We need to be able to offer them a great experience as a family, in the cinema or at home,” he noted. 

“[At Anima Vitae] we have been developing a style that’s not ultra-realistic – it’s cinematic. We think animation is about the visual world and not some downgraded copy of it. You shouldn’t just keep adding pixels to the screen.”

“Animated films are more identifiable and leave more of an impression if they have a stylized look. If you have a style, it’s a statement that doesn’t get old quickly.”  

Although the Finnish film industry is currently facing steep cuts, Haikala isn’t giving up just yet. 

“We’ve been around for 25 years and seen many mayhems on the road. It’s always worrying, but your only option is to try and find a way through the stormy waters. So far, we’ve been lucky,” he said. 

“We have always prioritized sustainability and long-term development, and this has led us to make choices that are hopefully more long-lasting. We try to see opportunities instead of threats. And we are stubborn.”