The Rabbit Factor - What We Know So Far
Amazon Studios has another hot property on its hands in "The Rabbit Factor," an upcoming adaptation of a novel of the same name by Finnish author Antti Tuomainen. Even more exciting, while the project remains in the early stages of development, Deadline reports that none other than the star of "The Office," Steve Carell, has already been signed to play the lead character, Henri Koskinen.
One surprising aspect of Amazon Studio's newest acquisition is that "The Rabbit Factor," a Finnish novel first published in 2020, has yet to see a release in English, according to The Bookseller. The book is due to be translated by David Hackston and released for English-speaking audiences outside of the United States and Canada in October 2021, although a release for North American audiences remains unannounced. However, "The Rabbit Factor," the first book in a planned trilogy, has enjoyed extensive praise, and The Bookseller notes that Tromainen has been called "the funniest writer in Europe."
While there aren't many concrete details about what to expect from the Amazon Studios project, there are a couple of clues out there that fans can use to piece together information about the upcoming adaptation. Here is everything we know about the release date, cast, and plot of "The Rabbit Factor."
When is the release date for The Rabbit Factor?
With so many moving pieces still in the air for the original novel to arrive for English-speaking audiences, it remains difficult to pin down when the Amazon Studios project will be released. Trying to figure out a possible release date gets even more complex considering that it is not yet entirely clear exactly what type of project "The Rabbit Factor" is.
Deadline's exclusive June 24 announcement that Amazon Studios had attached Steve Carell to "The Rabbit Factor" refers to the adaptation as a "star vehicle" and a "project" but does not specify whether it would be a feature film or series. The Bookseller's bulletin, which came a day later, mentions that the book had been "optioned by Amazon Studios" but did not offer any other details. An interview with author Antti Tuomainen published by The Killing Times on June 25 classified the project as a TV series, although this is not necessarily a definitive description.
Whatever "The Rabbit Factor" ends up being, what seems sure is that it's a long way out. The earliest fans might see the project arrive is likely the fall or winter of 2022, and it wouldn't be surprising if it ended up scheduled for a 2023 release.
Who is in the cast of The Rabbit Factor?
The only announced cast member for "The Rabbit Factor" is, as noted, Steve Carell, who will play lead character Henri Koskinen, an accountant whose carefully managed world is turned upside down when he loses his job. Deadline has described the project as a "star vehicle" for Carell, so viewers can expect his role in the project to be central.
While the announcement didn't name any other contributors to the project outside of producers David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, and executive producer Alex Young, it did list plenty of great parts in "The Rabbit Factor." Still waiting to be cast is Laura, an artist with a complex past whom Henri meets, in addition to the colorful characters who staff the amusement park Henri comes to own.
Finally, the park seems to be in debt to some sort of criminal organization, another chance for Amazon Studios to fill those roles with talented actors. While it might be some time before we know just who else will appear in the project, it will undoubtedly be entertaining to see how they interact with Carell's Henri.
What is the plot of The Rabbit Factor?
Since "The Rabbit Factor" has yet to see an English translation released, there aren't too many detailed descriptions of the plot currently available. However, representatives of the book's author Antti Tuomainen, the Salomonsson Agency, provided an outline for the novel that will likely apply to the upcoming Amazon Studios project as well.
The core of the story revolves around Henri Koskinen, an "insurance mathematician" who seems to believe that he has life figured out down to a science because he "calculates everything down to the last decimal." Of course, in real life and art, things are never that straightforward, and Henri's life is thrown into chaos when he unexpectedly finds himself out of a job.
To complicate matters even further, the death of his brother leaves him the owner of a struggling amusement park that owes a heavy debt to an aggressive criminal organization. As he finds himself struggling with these problems without the straightforward answers his calculations once provided, his life becomes even more complex when he involves himself with a mysterious artist, Laura.
The description ends by noting that "The Rabbit Factor" is the first in a planned trilogy, which may play into Amazon Studio's plans to develop the project into a series of films or a multi-season TV show.