| Markus Selin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 March 1960 Finland |
| Years active | 1980-present |
Markus Selin (born 16 March 1960 in Finland) is a television and film producer.
Selin's first feature was conceived in the mid-80s. While attending a party in L.A. he was introduced to fellow Finn Renny Harlin and so became good friends with the aspiring director who was then working as a buyer for a Finnish distribution company.[1] The two collaborated on a script about three Americans vacationing in Finland who cross the border into the Soviet Union. They approached Chuck Norris to star and he initially agreed but later had to pull out after the production was delayed due to financing problems but his son Mike Norris took over the lead.[2] Selin and Harlin funded the first part of production themselves and then shopped around with the resulting 20-minute demo reel. Selin was eventually able to secure co-production financing from the U.S. for what became the most expensive film ever produced in Finland. Under the terms of the deal Selin held on to the Finnish distribution rights. Unfortunately upon completion in 1986 the film was banned by the Finnish government for fear that its anti-Soviet slant might damage bilateral relations.[3] The pairing followed this in 1987 with Wild Force: S.O.P.H.I.A. (a.k.a. I want you to stay) but failed to secure a distributor.[4]
In the early 1990s Selin formed two companies Harlin & Selin Productions Oy with old friend Renny Harlin and his own Solar Films. The first project for these two companies in 1993 was Gladiaattorit, the Finnish version of the hit U.S. television series American Gladiators, produced by Selin, directed by Harlin and co-written by the two friends. This was followed in 1994 by a sketch comedy series called Vintiöt starring Santeri Kinnunen and that same year a feature called Sunset Riders. The movie was a hit with the critics winning Finnish Movie Awards for his its director Aleksi Mäkelä and its star Juha Veijonen but only performed moderately well at the box office. Numerous television and feature productions followed. In 2006 Selin re-teamed with old friend and collaborator Renny Harlin to produce a biopic of Finnish President Gustaf Mannerheim, but the budget projection spiraled, far eclipsing American Born, and coupled with problems with the Finnish government, again, the project was put on hold where it remains indefinitely.
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