Jalmari Helander

Jalmari Helander has created an unusual body of work out of Finland as a feature director/writer, leaning toward big, bold action and larger-than-life characters, starting with his droll yet wild action horror comedy debut, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), starring Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Per Christian Ellefsen and Tommi Korpela, world-premiering at Austin Fantastic Fest and premiering in Europe at the Locarno Film Festival, and grossing a robust $4 million for distributors FS Film Oy (Finland)/Scanbox Entertainment (Norway)/Chrysalis Films (France).

Helander was director/co-writer (with Petri Jokiranta) of the outlandish action thriller and his first international co-production (with backing from Finland, U.S., U.K. and Germany) Big Game (2014), starring Samuel L. Jackson (as the U.S. President), Onni Tommila (as a 13-year-old who saves him), Ray Stevenson, Victor Garber, Mehmet Kurtulus, Jorma Tommila, Felicity Huffman and Jim Broadbent, and earning $7.5 million for EuropaCorp (U.S.)/Nordisk Film Distribution (Finland and Scandinavia)/Entertainment One (U.K.)/Ascot Elite (Germany).

Helander returned with a bang to the big screen as director/writer after an eight-year absence with the action-packed WWII man-against-Nazis thriller, Sisu (2022), starring Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo and Onni Tommila, produced by Helander’s regular creative partner Petri Jokiranta with Stage 6 Films, Subzero Film Entertainment and Good Chaos, and released by Lionsgate (North America)/Nordisk Film (Europe)/Finnish Film Foundation (Finland) to a solid $14.3 million gross after launching at the Toronto Film Festival.

Helander directed and wrote the immediate sequel again starring Jorma Tommila as an ex-soldier “who wouldn’t die,” Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025), with Stephen Lang and Richard Brake, and released wide by Screen Gems (U.S.)/Sony Releasing (International)/SF Film Finland (Finland) after a Fantastic Fest world premiere.

Jalmari Helander was director only of the prequel to First Blood (1982)—the inspiration for the Sisu series—titled John Rambo (date to be announced), co-written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, starring Noah Centineo in the title role, and produced by Lionsgate (which is also distributor), with Anthony and Joe Russo’s production company, Agbo, along with Bonfire Legend and Millennium Media.