Ilkka Hynninen and Ilkka Rahkonen at ICS Nordic have brought award-winning writer and executive producer Brendan Foley on board to adapt Helena Immonen’s Operation: Arctic Fox.
The Tampere-based production company is adapting the third novel in the popular series by the military affairs journalist and officer in the Finnish Army Reserve as part of a development pact with Finnish publisher WSOY that allows authors to have an active role in adaptations; Immonen will EP alongside Foley, Hynninen, and Rahkonen. The geopolitical thriller is set against the backdrop of escalating Arctic ambitions by Russia and China. Foley’s list of credits includes Sherlock & Daughter, Cold Courage andThe Man Who Died.
“I’m delighted to be working on the TV adaptation of Helena’s great novel just as the world’s attention is glued to the crucial region at the roof of the world,” Foley said. “Audiences come for the big idea, but they stay for the characters—people they want to get to know over episodes and seasons. And I’m delighted to be working with ’the two Ilkkas’ of ICS, who both know their stuff and who appreciate what it takes to make a story work internationally.”
Hynninen, creative director at ICS Nordic, said: “With Brendan Foley joining Operation: Arctic Fox, the project immediately steps onto the international stage with a badge of excellence. His track record positions this not as a one-off thriller, but as a strategic, character-driven universe with real longevity. As Finland stands at the heart of NATO’s northern defence, Operation: Arctic Fox captures a moment in history where telling the story feels more urgent with each passing day. Finland is no longer watching history unfold—it is helping to shape it.”
Timo Julkunen, CEO of WSOY and Helena Immonen’s original publisher, commented: “The story remains profoundly relevant in the turbulent world we live in today. We are thrilled about this significant development for Operation: Arctic Fox. Every page of the novel resonates with global significance, powerfully capturing the essence of our current era from the critical vantage point of Finland, on the eastern border of NATO.”
