Cold Courage

Cold Courage is an international crime-drama television series based on Vilpittömästi sinun (2011, in English: Sincerely Yours), which is the first instalment of the Studio book series by Finnish writer Pekka Hiltunen. The book's English translation, Cold Courage, was published in 2013. All eight episodes of the TV series were available on Viaplay from 3 May 2020. It was co-written by David Joss Buckley and Brendan Foley while the directors were Agneta Fagerström Olsson and Kadir Ferati Balci. Most of the series is set in London, with additional scenes in Finland. The main protagonists are two Finnish women living in London: Pihla Viitala as Mari, who leads a clandestine group, The Studio and Sofia Pekkari as Lia, a graphic designer who is recruited by Mari to infiltrate a right wing political party. As well as United Kingdom and Finland, scenes were also shot in Belgium and Ireland.

Premise
Starting from six weeks before a by-election for a Greater London seat, each episode is set about a week later. The series follows the activity of The Studio, a clandestine investigative unit, established in London by Mari. She recruits fellow Finnish woman Lia to monitor the campaign of the right wing Fair Rule party's leader, Arthur. The Studio's other members are Paddy, Maggie, Berg and Rico. Lia is concerned for her friend Nina, who is a sex worker for an abusive crime lord, Vanags. Vanags makes the prostitutes wear amber pendants. When the disfigured corpse of Daiga is found wearing such a pendant, Lia believes it is Nina. Lia helps The Studio expose the fascist links of Fair Rule's deputy leader, Toni. Meanwhile Lia anonymously informs DCI Peter of Daiga's background.

Vanags allows a rich client dubbed the "Monster" to viciously batter the prostitutes including Daiga. Nina's corpse is also found disfigured. Lia and The Studio's team hunt down Vanags's henchman Sean and rescue the remaining prostitutes. Vanags abducts Lia but she is saved by Paddy. Lia shoots and seriously injures Vanags before escaping with Paddy. The Studio finds evidence that Arthur is the "Monster" and attempt to expose his activities. Arthur's party is sponsored by Mari's childhood rivals Jakob and Niclas Gerber.

Main

 * Pihla Viitala as Mari Rautee: leader of clandestine group, The Studio, initially funded by Mikael. She becomes Paddy's love interest
 * Sofia Pekkari as Liaelle "Lia" Matilta: Finnish-born, Swedish-raised, London resident. Graphics designer, initially works for a magazine New Level, while freelancing as an advertisement developer, recruited by Mari to be a mole in Fair Rule
 * John Simm as Arthur Fried: leader of Fair Rule party
 * Arsher Ali DCI Peter Chandra: leads police squad on disfigured woman's murder case
 * Peter Coonan as Paddy: The Studio's lead investigator, former police detective. Becomes Mari's love interest
 * Caroline Goodall as Maggie: The Studio's safe house manager
 * Jakob Eklund as Berg: The Studio's logistics, props man
 * Matteo Simoni as Rico: The Studio's technician

Recurring

 * Antti Reini as Kazimirs Vanags: Latvian drug and prostitution/sex trafficking network boss, all his prostitutes wear amber necklaces, runs Baltic Imports as a supermarket front
 * Ian Gerard Whyte as Sean Duffy: Vanags's henchman, scares prostitutes
 * Saar de Groof as Yalda: one of Vanags's prostitutes, does their shopping
 * Elmer Bäck as Matti: Lia's abusive former boyfriend
 * Venetia Bowe as Katya: one of Vanags's prostitutes, Daiga's younger sister, Anya's aunt
 * Keith McErlean as DS Jason Briggs: Peter's assistant
 * Pääru Oja as David Vervloet: First Rule's press officer, becomes its campaign manager
 * Megan O'Kelly as Anya: one of Vanags's prostitutes, Daiga's 12-year-old daughter, Katya's niece
 * Toni O'Rourke as Nina: Lia's friend, sex worker, abused by Vanags
 * Charlotte Timmers as Annabelle Fried: recently married Arthur
 * Maria Doyle Kennedy as Suzanne "Suzie" Hawkins: Arthur's first wife
 * David Fawaz as Mohammad Latif: Amjad's father
 * Aislín McGuckin as Antonia "Toni" Gallagher: Fair Rule's second-in-charge, allied with facists. Later arrested for colluding in death of young boy, Amjad
 * Ryan McParland as Sam: New Level deputy editor, Lia's co-worker
 * Derek Ugochukwu as Abu Al Jabar (a.k.a. Trevor Greene): throws brick, which kills Amjad. Killed by police
 * Jussi Nikkilä as Aarne: Mari's younger brother, has seizures due to oxygen starvation after childhood hanging
 * Rea Mauranen as Mamia: Mari and Aarne's abusive, long-estranged mother, Karl's lover, she favoured Karl's sons over her own children
 * Tibo Vandenborre as Jakob Gerber: Karl's son, Niclas's brother, Mari and Aarne's schoolmate bully
 * Jack Bandeira as Monty
 * Danielle Galligan as Daiga Mednis: one of Vanags's prostitutes, killed, disfigured
 * Tony Condren as "Guard (Abused Girls)"/"Henchman": works for Vanags
 * Matti Onnismaa as Mikael Rautee: Mari and Aarne's father, retired Finnish goldmine co-owner with Karl
 * Paul Rigter as Vong: Lia's neighbour, rent collector for their landlord
 * Lucy Cray-Miller as Irene
 * Jurgen Delnaet as Nick: New Level worker; fired for sexual exploitation of fellow worker
 * Jeroen Perceval as Niclas Gerber: Jakob's brother, Karl's son

Production
In May 2017, it was announced Viaplay and Sagafilm had picked up the Studio series, the first book titled, Vilpittömästi sinun (2011), by Pekka Hiltunen (translated into English as Cold Courage in 2013). Luminoir's Markku Flink would produce, and David Joss Buckley and Brendan Foley would adapt the story for screen. The series is internationally co-produced by Finnish, Irish, Belgian, and Icelandic production companies Luminoir, Vico Films, Potemkino, and Sagafilm respectively.

Casting was announced in January 2019 as principal photography for the series began, taking place in London, Dublin, Antwerp, Helsinki, and Kainuu.

Release
A trailer was released on 6 April 2020. The series was available in Nordic countries on Viaplay on 3 May 2020.

Global Road Entertainment originally had the rights to distribute the series internationally before withdrawing; Lionsgate now distributes internationally.

In August 2020, it was announced the series would premiere on BritBox in the UK on 3 September. Cold Courage premiered on AMC+ in the United States on 11 March 2021.