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Exclusive: Magnolia Pictures’ genre arm Magnet Releasing has picked up North American rights to Tribeca Festival supernatural thriller Man Finds Tape, which XYZ Films will continue to sell internationally at TIFF next month.

Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman directed the story about Lynn, a documentarian who returns to her Texas hometown after receiving a cryptic phone call and begins to investigate disturbing footage of events nobody recalls.

As Lynn digs deeper, her brother’s connection to a once-viral web series called Man Finds Tape leads her to question the people in her town. When a stranger arrives, she must confront...

"Will we be playing for a real audience?" "No, just a bunch of beavers." Zentropa has revealed the first full trailer for a kooky dark comedy from Denmark titled The Last Viking, the latest from filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen. This is set to premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival in a few weeks as their next big Danish premiere, following Families Like Ours last year and The Promised Land the year before. This fun new comedy features Mads Mikkelsen & Nikolaj Lie Kaas as brothers, but Mikkelsen is traumatized and has strange psychological quirks – he thinks he's John Lennon. After his brother, a bank robber, is released from jail he tries to unlock his other brother's memory to recover stolen loot – since he's the only one who knows where it's buried near their parent's old house in the woods. Comedy ensues when a psychiatrist puts together a band to help jog Mads' memory.

Mads Mikkelsen will always be known for his roles in Doctor Strange and Rogue One, but a more recent film from the star that garnered acclaim has continued a run of impressive streaming success. Mikkelsen stars alongside Amanda Collin and Simon Bennebjerg in The Promised Land, formerly titled Bastarden, the historical epic telling the story of Ludvig Kahlen, a Danish explorer who cultivated Denmark's wild Jutland. The Promised Land is streaming on Paramount+ globally, where it’s been clashing with Tom Cruise for weeks, and now the film has even beaten the latest sleeper hit fromHenry Cavill, Night Hunter. The Promised Land only grossed $2 million at the box office, but it earned a “certified fresh” 97% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 95% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter.

The Promised Land is also streaming on Hulu in America, with no plans to leave anytime soon. The film can also be...

Copenhagen-based TrustNordisk has inked further deals and unveiled the first-look image to the dark comedy “The Last Viking” written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen (“Riders of Justice”).

Toplining the cast are his usual “partners in crime” Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, as well as Sofie Gråbøl.

One of the hottest Danish titles lined up for launch later this year, the Zentropa pic has added Spain (Avalon), Greece (Videorama) and Bulgaria (Beta Film).

Earlier pre-sales were closed with Neue Visionen for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, September Film for Benelux, Plaion for Italy, Estinfilm for the Baltics, Vertigo Media for Hungary, Best Film for Poland, Film Europe for Czech Republic and Slovakia, September Film Rights for Singapore and Starcat Cable Network Co. for Japan.

TrustNordisk will unveil fresh scenes of the pic at a promo-reel slate presentation at Cannes market.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see ‘The Last Viking’ continue...

Antonio Banderas keeps his mouth shut, and his gun loaded in this divisive action thriller, which is now making some noise on free streaming. Released back in 2017, Acts of Vengeance evokes the best kind of action B-movie in this tale of a lawyer who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, vowing silence and revenge after his family is murdered.

Directed by Isaac Florentine, who is certainly no stranger to the genre, as demonstrated in his frequent collaborations with underrated action icon Scott Adkins in the likes of Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, and Close Range, Acts of Vengeance stars The Boys’ Karl Urban, as well as Paz Vega and Cristina Serafini alongside Banderas. The action outing, which proved deeply divisive at the time, is now getting a second shot at success thanks to the free streaming platform, Tubi, where it currently stands #7 in the top 10.

Upon release,...

TrustNordisk has unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at Anders Thomas Jensen’s new film, which has been retitled The Last Viking for international territories(previously Back To Reality).

Currently in post-production after shooting last autumn, the film has sold to Starcat Cable Network Co. in Japan. Previously confirmed deals include Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Neue Visionen Filmverleigh Gmbh), Benelux (September Film) and Italy (Plaion). TrustNordisk will be conducting further sales at next week’s European Film Market (February 13-19).

The Last Viking reunites Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas with Jensen; the actors have appeared in all of Jensen’s previous...

After the hopeful signs of recovery over the last two years, attendance in all five markets dropped again in 2024, by a small margin of 3% in Denmark to nearly 13% in Norway. Post Covid effects and Hollywood strikes that led to a lack of U.S. tentpoles were blamed for the decline, however mitigated in some territories by the strong performance of domestic fare.

In Finland, local titles secured a record 31.6% market share, with the local epic love story “Stormskerry Maja” leading the charge. In Sweden, the local champion was the heart-warming documentary “The Last Journey” in which the TV personalities Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson (aka Filip & Fredrik) travel to France to rekindle the zest for life of Filip’s aging dad. The Swedish Oscar entry largely contributed to the country’s 22% market-share and biggest ticket sales in seven years.

In Iceland, it was Hollywood-Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur who delivered the...

Michiel ten Horn’s “Fabula” – which opens this year’s edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam – follows a “dumb, selfish gangster who gets himself into a lot of trouble,” explains the director. But there’s a “philosophical layer” to it as well.

“It’s a redemption story, almost like ‘A Christmas Carol.’ He’s like a Charles Dickens character who’s visited by four ghosts and put through a real beating in order to learn something.”

In his crime comedy, Jos (“Speak No Evil’s” Fedja van Huêt) is used to bad luck – after all, his family has been dealing with it for years. But as a drug deal goes terribly wrong and, on top of it all, he finds out he’s about to become a grandfather, Jos’ determined to finally break the circle.

“I think the audience likes it when a character is struggling but also trying his best to achieve something.

One of the most underrated action thrillers of recent times is now available to stream for free. Led by James Bond, MCU, Indiana Jones, and go-to villain actor Mads Mikkelsen, the action outing, which also harbors a lot of comedy, is titled Riders of Justice, and follows the Fantastic Beasts star as something of an antihero. Starring as former soldier, Markus, who is forced to return home to care for his daughter after his wife is killed in a train accident, Markus soon finds himself on a quest for revenge after a group of hackers drag him into a conspiracy.

Directed and written by Anders Thomas Jensen, Riders of Justice was released back in 2020 and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro, Gustav Lindh, Roland Møller, and Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt. Riders of Justice is now available to stream for free on Tubi, and you...

Exclusive: Danish actor Roland Møller (Citadel) has landed the lead villain role opposite Jason Statham and Annabelle Wallis in Lionsgate’s action-thriller Mutiny. Others newly aboard for key roles are Arnas Fedaravičius (The White Lotus) and Adrian Lester (The Sandman).

In Mutiny, which has just wrapped production in the UK and Malta, after his billionaire industrialist boss is murdered in front of him, Cole Reed is set up to take the fall for the crime — leaving him on the run as he works to uncover an international conspiracy. Further character details for today’s new trio of cast members weren’t disclosed.

Jean-François Richet is directing from a script by Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis, his collaborator on the recent Lionsgate action thriller Plane starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter. Statham and his newly minted production company Punch Palace Productions are producing alongside Marc Butan under his MadRiver Pictures banner,...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of December titles. The Tubi December 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi December 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

Some actors are simply synonymous with scheming villains, and Mads Mikkelson is one of the most famous examples of prolific on-screen villainy. Even before his iconic 2013 place as a fiendish cannibal, he was playing iconic antagonists. In one of his earliest roles, Mikkelsen portrayed Arne, one of Flickering Lights four scheming gangsters. A few years later, he donned the title of Le Chiffre to stand against espionage aficionado Daniel Craig in 2006s Casino Royale. In more recent years, Mikkelson joined a historical evil as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinys Doctor Jrgen Voller.

While many of Mikkelsens most renowned performances are antagonistic, some of his best performances turn the actor into a protagonist. Riders of Justice is the perfect example of such a Mikkelsenian gem. The 2020 Danish film never earned a massive audience, though not for a lack of talent. International foreign language films rarely meet worldwide success, after...

Exclusive: Canada’s CBC is stocking its streaming service with dramas from Scandinavia and the UK.

CBC Gem will launch British comedy-drama Cheaters, Scandi co-pro comedy All and Eva and Danish drama Families Like Ours in coming weeks. All and Eva will lead off on Friday, November 1, followed by Cheaters amon November 8 and Families Like Ours on November 22.

All and Eva, from Warner Bros. International Television Sweden for Viaplay, is a six-part series in which a woman’s journey to discover her sperm donor and their unexpected relationship, despite his ignorance of his impending fatherhood. Viaplay Content Distribution shops it internationally.

It is created, written and directed by Johanna Runevard and stars Tuva Novotny, Joachim Fjelstrup, Sanna Sundqvist and Bengt Braskered.

The show has been gaining...

TrustNordisk has sold Anders Thomas Jensen’s Back To Reality (working title) to key territories as filming continues on the Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas title.

The film has sold to Italy (Plaion), the Baltics (Estinfilm), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Poland (Best Film), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), former Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group), and Singapore (September Film Rights).

Last month Screen reported pre-sales to Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Neue Visionen Filmverleih Gmbh) and Benelux (September Film).

The story follows a bank robber, Anker (Lie Kaas), who is fresh out of jail on his way to collect the loot. The only...

At this time last year, picketers were walking outside of studio gates, still two months away from resolving Hollywood’s dual strikes. Of the big festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with its focus on star-heavy independent projects, was hardest hit by the labor action, with empty red carpets turning much-hyped premieres into damp squibs. Heading into TIFF this year, Hollywood is contending with less uncertainty (M&a and cost-cutting aside) and release calendars have fewer holes as strike-halted productions have started to roll out again, all of which should be good news for dealmakers headed to TIFF.

“I think you’re going to see things moving relatively quickly, especially given the languid pace that has pervaded film festival markets since Covid,” says Kent Sanderson of Bleecker Street, who is bringing three titles to the fest while looking for new acquisitions. “If anything is going to slow the pace of film sales,...

Anders Thomas Jensen is getting the Riders of Justice team back together.

For his new dark comedy, tentatively titled Back to Reality, writer-director Jensen has tapped his Riders of Justice stars Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas to headline. The duo is joined by a Danish who’s who of acting talent, including Lars Brygmann, Sofie Grabol, Bodil Jorgensen, Soren Malling and Nicolas Bro. Shooting began in Funen, Denmark, on Aug. 19.

Back to Reality is described as a drama/crime comedy mashup involving a bank robbery and two very different brothers, Anker and Manfred (Mikkelsen and Kaas, respectively). When Anker is released from jail he wants to recover the money he stole from his heist, but the only one who knows where the loot is buried is his brother Manfred, who is suffering from personal disassociation due to childhood trauma and his protective alter ego who has no recollection of...

Danish writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen is reuniting with Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas for Back To Reality (working title), which started shooting in Denmark on August 19, and will also film in Sweden.

The pair of acclaimed actors play brothers in the new dark comedy.

The story follows a bank robber, Anker (Lie Kaas), who is fresh out of jail on his way to collect the loot. The only one who knows where the money is buried is his brother, Manfred (Mikkelsen), who has a mental illness and no longer remembers where the loot is.

The cast also includes Lars Brygmann,...

August’s New Nordic Films, Scandinavia’s biggest second-half-of-the-year film market, will open with drama-thriller “Way Home” from Charlotte Sieiling, a concept director on the original “The Bridge” and “Borgen.”

The screening will mark the world premiere of “Way Home,” sold by LevelK and produced by Denmark’s Toolbox Film.

“This movie means a lot to me, and I really hope the Nordic audience and the world will embrace our effort to tell this father-son story in an environment so different from ours, but still part of our reality,” said Sieling.

Sieling’s latest film, “Margrete – Queen of the North,” a lavish, stately historical drama,” in Variety’s words, asked t what extent a monarch would subordinate vital interest of state to personal interest. “Way Home” poses a similar question – how far are you willing to go to save the people you love? – in an entirely different context. Christian...

Danish production powerhouse Zentropa is expanding into non-fiction with its new division Zentropa Documentary.

The division will produce feature film and short-form works, for cinemas, television networks and streaming platforms worldwide.

The division’s first titles will be presented within the next year.

Zentropa has hired filmmaker and producer Nicole Horanyi to lead the documentary venture. Horanyi has directed feature documentaries including 2015’s Motley’s Law, about a lawyer who leaves her family in the US to work in Afghanistan; and 2017 Thessaloniki Docs title The Stranger, about a woman who meets a seemingly perfect man online.

The filmmaker was also...

Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson, who made Peanut Butter Falcon, have been hired to direct the English language remake of the Mads Mikkelsen-starring film, Riders Of Justice.

Not long after Riders Of Justice released back in 2021, news emerged that the Danish film would be getting an English language remake.

A revenge thriller told with an eccentric tone and a streak of dark comedy, the original Riders Of Justice (Retfærdighedens ryttere) was popular on its original release, and we gave it four stars in our review. Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen and starring Mads Mikkelsen in a story about ‘a recently deployed soldier who returns home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed in a train accident. But when a team of statistics experts investigating the accident claim foul play, the soldier embarks on a revenge-fuelled mission, along with an eclectic group, to find those responsible.

Peanut Butter Falcon filmmakers Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson have been tapped to adapt and direct the remake of Riders of Justice for Lionsgate. 

Schwartz and Nilson also directed the feature Los Frikis, which earned the top jury prize at the Miami Film Festival. Their previous film, The Peanut Butter Falcon, a modern day take on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tale that starred Shia Labeouf and Dakota Johnson, became the highest-grossing indie film of 2019. That feature film debut was preceded by short docs about Alex Honnold, the subject of Free Solo.  

Shawn Levy, Dan Levine of Dan Cohen of 21 Laps Entertainment are producing the Riders of Justice remake after Lionsgate earlier picked up the English-language adaptation rights to the Danish action-comedy directed by Anders Thomas Jensen.

Jensen and Nikolaj Arcel, who co-wrote the 2020 movie, will write the English-language version. Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Anders Kjaeurhauge from the original film are executive producing,...

Exclusive: The Peanut Butter Falcon filmmakers Michael Schwartz & Tyler Nilson have been hired to adapt and direct the remake of Riders of Justice for Lionsgate. Shawn Levy, Dan Levine & Dan Cohen of 21 Laps are producing. Sisse Graum Jørgensen & Anders Kjaeurhauge from the original film are executive producing. James Myers is overseeing for Lionsgate.

The original 2020 Danish film starred Mads Mikkelsen and was directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, who co-wrote the story with Nik Arcel. Riders of Justice was a critical and fan favorite hit due to its original tone and offbeat action. The story follows a recently deployed soldier who returns home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed in a train accident. But when a team of statistics experts investigating the accident claim foul play, the soldier embarks on a revenge-fueled mission, along with an eclectic group, to find those responsible.

Schwartz & Nilson’s big...

Mads Mikkelsen, the undisputed franchise king, has triumphantly conquered the big screen, leaving his mark on every major franchise imaginable. From Star Wars to Marvel, Fantastic Beasts, James Bond and Indiana Jones, Mads has rightfully become a household name. But in the midst of countless blockbusters, there is a hidden gem that showcases the depth of his brilliance unlike any other film. While movies like The Hunt and Pusher often come to mind when discussing his finest works, it is in the little Danish action-comedy called Riders Of Justice that Mikkelsen's exceptional talent truly shines, showcasing his incredible range, vulnerability, and flexibility on screen.

Copenhagen-based sales and financing outlet REinvent has inked major deals on the Danish/German thriller “Oxen”, ahead of its screening Feb. 19 as part of the Berlinale Series Market Selects label.

The show, produced by Scandi major Sf Studios with Germany’s Square One for TV2 Denmark and Zdf, has been acquired by Gsn Networks for the UK, AMC for Spain/Portugal as well as Orion Group for Poland.

An earlier pre-sale was closed with Lumière for Benelux: Further deals are pending for the U.S. and Latin America according to REinvent.

Powered by a stellar creative team including helmer Jannik Johansen, Emmy-award winning duo Mai Brostrøm and Peter Thorsboe, who wrote the screenplay based on Jens Henrik Jensen’s best-selling book series, “Oxen” was one of the biggest series on Danish television in 2023. Launched late October, it averaged 1.3 million consolidated viewers on TV2 Denmark.

Jacob Lohmann plays the title role as veteran Niels Oxen,...

Denmark-based sales outfit LevelK has boarded Charlotte Sieling’s Way Home, ahead of its presentation in the work-in-progress sessions at Goteborg Film Festival today.

Written by Danish filmmaker Sieling with Nagieb Khaja and Jesper Fink based on Khaja’s original idea, Way Home follows a man smuggled into Syria on a desperate search for his son; the man must sacrifice everything he believes in to be reunited with his child. The film is currently in post-production.

Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays the lead role, and learned Arabic for the part. Lie Kaas recently appeared in Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice...

There’s Violent Mads.. And Quiet Mads..

And now there’s Very Quiet Mads.

In his fifth Danish Oscar entry, “The Promised Land,” a Nordic pioneer Western from Nicolaj Arcel (Mikkelsen’s director from a decade ago on the nominated “A Royal Affair”), Mikkelsen delivers an almost silent, stoic, physical performance as captain-turned-potato-farmer Ludvig von Kahlen as he tries to tame the 18th-century Danish heath.

As the bastard son of a nobleman and his maid, making something of a piece of turf is the only way for the veteran to move up into the upper class. “He so desperately wants to become part of something that he hates, nobility,” Mikkelsen told IndieWire during a recent interview in Los Angeles. “They don’t deserve it. They haven’t worked for anything. He decides that he wants to be part of it.”

Back then people didn’t talk about their feelings. “His range of emotions is limited,...

A luxury ocean-liner graced by generations of the rich and famous, Hms Queen Mary is now celebrated – and feared – as “One of the World’s Most Haunted Places” (Time Magazine).

Vertigo Releasing is delighted to announce that Haunting Of The Queen Mary will be released on Digital Platforms on 9th October 2023. Written and directed by Gary Shore (Dracula Untold) and from the producers of The Woman in Black, this is an ornate and deeply disturbing tale of the haunted Queen Mary ocean liner.

Synopsis:

When photographers Erin (Alice Eve) and Patrick (Joel Fry) are brought aboard the ship with their young son Lukas (Lenny Rush), they unleash a series of events that entwines their family with the ship’s dark past. As the terror unfolds around them they begin to realise there is more to this sumptuous ocean liner than meets the eye: its remarkable legacy masking violent secrets. As...

The Promised Land, the new film from Danish director Nikolaj Arcel, is a story of ambition.

Set in 1755 it follows Captain Ludvig Kahlen, a bankrupt former soldier determined to secure the royal title denied him by birth — the film’s Danish title, Bastarden, is a reference to Kahlen’s origins as the illegitimate son of a rich landowner and his housemaid — by building a colony for the Danish king in the hinterlands of the Danish heath, at the time a lawless and untamed wilderness. In addition to the unforgiving climate and hardscrabble, crop-resistance soil, Kahlen has to battle with Frederik de Schinkel, a brutal and arrogant land baron determined to claim Kahlen’s land for his own.

The premise has the makings of a classic Western: The story of one man taming the frontier. But Arcel, who co-wrote the film with his frequent collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice...

The Promised Land is a gripping historical epic drama starring Mads Mikkelsen, based on a Danish bestseller about a proud captain tasked with building a colony on barren heath. The film, directed by Nikolaj Arcel and co-written by Anders Thomas Jensen, explores the challenges faced by the captain as he encounters opposition from both the land and the ruthless landowner. The Promised Land scheduled will compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

The international trailer and poster for The Promised Land, a new historical epic drama starring Mads Mikkelsen, has been released. In the words of TrustNordisk, the film is “a gripping story about the conquest of the heath, the tale of a proud and uncompromising man, and the woman who becomes his ally in the fight against evil, death and perdition.” And it's the based on the 2020 Danish bestseller Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara or...

Mads Mikkelsen embodies real-life captain Ludvig Kahlen in a new trailer for The Promised Land. The historical drama, directed by Nikolaj Arcel, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The clip reveals Mikkelsen as Kahlen, who set out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with the aim of building a colony in the name of the King. A synopsis for the film describes it as “a gripping story about the conquest of the heath, the tale of a proud and uncompromising man, and the woman who becomes...

TrustNordisk has unveiled the international trailer and poster for “The Promised Land,” Nikolaj Arcel’s historical epic drama starring Mads Mikkelsen (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”), which is slated to world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

“The Promised Land” tells the true story of an impoverished captain, Ludvig Kahlen, who set out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with a seemingly impossible goal; to build a colony in the name of the King.

TrustNordisk is describing the film as “a gripping story about the conquest of the heath, the tale of a proud and uncompromising man, and the woman who becomes his ally in the fight against evil, death and perdition.”

Mikkelsen stars opposite Amanda Collin (“Raised by Wolves”). The cast is completed by Magnus Krepper (“Queen of Hearts”), Simon Bennebjerg (“Borgen”), Gustav Lindh (“The Northman”), Kristine Kujath Thorp (“Ninjababy”), Morten Hee Andersen (“Margrete: Queen of the North...

Copenhagen, 25 July 2023 – The 80th Venice International Film Festival has just announced its official selection, which includes Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land, a gripping drama, based on true events about one man’s steely quest to create his own fortune and to change the map of Denmark forever. But in his pursuit of wealth and honor, he risks sacrificing love and losing those he cares about.

The Zentropa-produced drama will world premiere in Competiton at the Biennale di Venezia, one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious festivals.

The critically acclaimed director is back at the helm directing a Danish film, for the first time since the Academy Award-nominated A Royal Affair (2012) and reuniting with talented, world-class actor Mads Mikkelsen. The Promised Land is penned by Arcel and Danish screenwriter and director Anders Thomas Jensen and is based on the Danish bestseller ‘Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara’ (translated ‘The...

Grimmfest, Manchester UK’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, joins Méliès International Festivals Federation.

Regular attendees that look forward to catching up with the annual selection of short film premieres at Grimmfest, will be pleased to hear that this year, Grimmfest will be hosting three short film programmes across the festival period (6th-8th October 2023), in celebration of their new membership of the Méliès International Festivals Federation.

The Federation, recently held their annual general assembly at Cannes film festival, and the 26 member festivals voted for Grimmfest to join, and thus become the only English festival of fantastic film in the Federation.

Each year member festivals vote for their best ‘Fantastic’ feature film and short film, with an award for each, presented at Sitges. Previous winners have included Alex Garland’s Men, Prano Baily-Bond’s Censor, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice, Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Lars Von Trier...

The film is estimated to be one of Zentropa’s biggest feature films in years with a budget of €8m.

TrustNordisk has closed a slew of new deals on Nikolaj Arcel’s The Bastard, starring Mads Mikkelsen.

The new acquisitions are for Canada (Mongrel Media), Poland (Best Film), Spain (Divisa Red), Former Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), Greece (Weirdwave), Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Estin Film) and Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe).

Previously reported sales include to the US (Magnolia), Germany (Plaion), France (The Jokers), Benelux (September) and Hungary (Vertigo Media). Nordisk has Nordic rights and has set the local release for...

Prolific Danish writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice, Adams Apples, Men & Chicken), is dipping back into his deep well of dark comedy for his upcoming film, Back to Reality.

The film is described as a drama/crime comedy mashup involving a bank robbery, Anker, who gets released after a jail stint for a heist from which the money was never recovered. The only one who knows where the loot is buried is Anker’s brother Manfred, but the shock of his childhood trauma has sent him fleeing to an alter ego who has no recollection of the money. Hoping to unlock Manfred’s memory, the brothers travel to their childhood home and start digging, physically and psychologically. Back to Reality is currently in preproduction and in the final phase of financing.

No cast has been confirmed but Jensen is a frequent collaboration with Danish star Mads Mikkelsen, the...

‘Back To Reality’ is a dark comedy from writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen.

TrustNordisk has acquired international sales rights to two upcoming features from Denmark’s Zentropa, including a new film from acclaimed comedy filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen.

Jensen’s Back To Reality (working title) is a dark comedy, about a bank robber recently released from jail, who must unlock his traumatised brother’s memory to recover stolen loot.

Zentropa is producing the title, which is at script stage with no cast yet attached; Nordisk Film Distribution will release the film in Scandinavia. Producers are Sisse Graum Jorgensen and Sidsel Hybschmann for Zentropa,...

Ben Whishaw Unveils First Project Since BAFTA TV Win

Exclusive: Ben Whishaw has unveiled his first project since being awarded his latest BAFTA TV Award. The This Is Going to Hurt star is leading short film Good Boy, the directorial debut from Mainstream co-writer Tom Stuart, which filmed on the Glastonbury Festival site in April. In Good Boy, Whishaw stars with Marion Bailey (The Crown) as a son and mother whose attempt to rob a bank is scuppered by bizarre manifestations from their past. Inspired by the writer-director’s own experience of bereavement, the personal film explores the insidious malleability of grief and the unexpected ways it asserts itself in daily life. “The pandemic has brought us an unprecedented amount of death and behind it a dark wave of grief,” said Stuart. “I’ve learnt that it’s only by talking about my grief that I’m able to loosen...

REInvent has closed a French deal on “The Angel Maker,” a psychological thriller starring a top Nordic cast including Julie R. Ølgaard (“The Killing”), Roland Møller (“Riders of Justice”), Christopher Læssø (“The Bridge”) and Stine Stengade (“Those Who Kill”).

The banner has sold the film to Koba Films in France and will be hosting a market screening at Cannes on the 18th.

“The Angel Maker” tells the story of crime detective Laura who is specialized within cybercrime. Laura is on sick leave with a psychosis after a birth depression and by coincidence she stumbles upon a case with a beastly serial killer which piques her interest and she decides that it is time for her to return to her job as a crime detective.

Produced by HitHero Productions, the film is directed by Esben Tønnesen and Julie R. Ølgaard. It will be released on June 8.

Sf Studios, the leading Scandinavian banner behind “Snabba Cash” and “A Man Called Otto,” has boarded “Kingmaker,” the sequel of the 2004 Danish hit movie “Kongekabale.”

The political thriller is an adaptation of Niels Krause-Kjær’s second novel “Mørkeland” about the adventures of an investigative journalist, Ulrik Torp. The initial movie was a local blockbuster, selling over 550,000 tickets in Danish theaters.

The film, directed by Mikkel Serup, brings back Anders W. Berthelsen in the lead role as Ulrik Torp, starring alongside Danish star Nicolas Bro (“Riders of Justice”) and Charlotte Munck (“Open Spaces”) also returning in their roles. Penned by Marie Østerbye, “Kingmaker” is produced by Sara Namer and Morten Kjems Hytten Juhl at Meta Film, and executive produced by Meta Film’s Louise Foldager. Sf Studios distributes the film in the Nordics, while REinvent handles international sales.

“Much has changed since ‘Kongekabale’ was released in 2004,” said Serup. “The media, the political scene,...

"Your emotions affect you too much." Kino Lorber released this Belgian thriller in the US already - if you haven't seen or heard about this yet, you may want to check it out. On the Edge is the US title for a Belgian thriller made by a Chilean filmmaker named Giordano Gederlini. It premiered last year and already opened around Europe, and is now available in the US to watch as well. A man seemingly falls onto the subway rails and later dies at the hospital. The train driver who was on duty at the time of the incident happens to be his estranged father. While on the trail of his son's murderers, Leo will be closely watched by the police, also investigating. They soon discover that Leo’s skills in tracking & apprehending violent criminals are not those of a mere metro driver. Taken with a Belgian twist? The film stars Antonio De La Torre,...

Nikolaj Lie Kaas’ series “Agent,” shown at Berlinale Series, centers around Joe, who has high hopes for his famous clients. But it’s not another remake of a certain French smash.

“I started writing it before ‘Call My Agent!’ even came out. Then I saw it on Netflix and went: ‘Oh, for f**k’s sake…’,” Danish actor-turned-director tells Variety.

“I guess I was just longing for a comedy, something that would also have depth, heart and all that stuff. I said to myself: ‘Nikolaj, you are being a bitch about it. Create something yourself, instead of asking others to do it.’”

Lie Kaas, who also created the show – a Zentropa production, sold by TrustNordisk, which will be broadcast by TV2 – was recently spotted in Lars von Trier’s “The Kingdom Exodus.” Despite well-received roles in pitch-black comedies, such as Anders Thomas Jensen’s “Men and Chicken” and “Riders of Justice,...

Fast-rising Danish production powerhouse Motor, led by scribe Christian Torpe and producer Jesper Morthorst, has unveiled a splashy five-pic slate, led by the Göteborg Film Festival’s closing film “Camino” by Birgitte Stærmose and Tea Lindeburg’s pic in development “The Seal Woman,” to be pitched at the Discovery strand of Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market (Feb. 2-5).

One of the hottest new Danish directors, Netflix “Equinox” series creator Lindeburg made waves on the festival circuit with her directorial debut “As in Heaven,” which scooped a double win in San Sebastian and best-Nordic statuette in Göteborg 2021, before wooing several buyers including Juno Films in the U.S.

Her anticipated sophomore feature “The Seal Woman,” based on her original screenplay, is inspired by a Faroese legend, which has it that those who drown themselves turn into seals. And once every year, they return to shore in their human shape.

The story...

A 1970s Cold War spy thriller from HBO Max, a British-Italian mafia-themed drama and an Amazon Prime cop show set in India are among the new series highlights that will have their world premieres at the 2023 Berlinale Series, the Berlin Film Festival’s television showcase.

They are HBO Max’s Spy/Master, a German-Romanian co-production about a high-ranking spook from the Eastern Bloc trying to defect to the West via a trip to Germany; Amazon’s Dahaad (Roar) about a police investigation into the mysterious disappearance of several women in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan; and Disney+ drama The Good Mothers, about Italian women taking on the mafia. They will all screen in Berlin for the first time as part of the Berlinale Series program.

Further 2023 Berlinale Series world premieres include Scandinavian thriller Agent from Danish star Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Riders of Justice), which will air on Denmark’s TV2,...

It’s not the reunion that “Hannibal” fans have been waiting for, but it might be the next best thing: Series creator Bryan Fuller and star Mads Mikkelsen are making a movie together.

Titled “Dust Bunny,” the film is written and directed by Fuller, who makes his feature directorial debut. Mikkelsen will star in the horror movie, which focuses on an 8-year-old girl who enlists the help of a neighbor to kill a monster under her bed that she believes ate her family. The project was announced November 1 during the first day of the American Film Market, with global sales company Sierra/Affinity set to present it to distributors at the eight-day industry event.

Kristen Figeroid, Sierra/Affinity’s managing director and executive vice president stated that “Mads brings such a unique quality to every character he brings to life and his role in ‘Dust Bunny’ will be no exception. We...

The Nordisk Film Production is being released locally on November 3.

LevelK has boarded international sales for Fathers & Mothers, a Danish comedy from Paprika Steen.

An acclaimed actress best known for films including The Celebration and Applause, Steen has previously directed three features: That Time Of Year, With Your Permission and Aftermath.

Jacob Weis wrote the original script, which is about a married couple who have to navigate hierarchy, rivalry and hidden agendas at their daughter’s new school, including during a popular school camping trip.

The ensemble cast includes Jacob Hauberg Lohmann (Shorta), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Riders of Justice), Amanda Collin...

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Families Like Ours, the debut TV drama from Thomas Vinterberg, has begun principal photography as well as formally announcing its cast, with several stars of his Oscar and BAFTA winning feature Another Round set to appear.

Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Brothers, The Killing, Riders of Justice) Paprika Steen (Festen, Open Hearts, The First Lady), Helene Reingaard Neumann (Another Round, Kursk, Borgen), Magnus Millang (Another Round, Kursk, The Commune), Esben Smed (Follow The Money, Held for Ransom, The Kindness of Strangers), Amaryllis April August in her acting debut, Albert Rudbek Lindhardt (Another Round, Riders of Justice), Thomas Bo Larsen (Another Round, The Hunt, Festen), Asta August (Burn All My Letters, The Pact, A Song for Martin) and David Dencik (No Time To Die, Chernobyl, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will star in the six-part series, from Zentropa and which StudioCanal is co-producing and distributing.

Lars von Trier is back, and he’s returning to his past for his latest project. The Kingdom Exodus, which marks the final installment of The Kingdom, premiered earlier this year at Venice International Film Festival and ahead of a New York Film Festival premiere, Mubi has dropped the first trailer and the release plan for the season.

The Kingdom I and The Kingdom II, which have been newly restored in never-before-seen director’s cuts, will launch on November 13 and November 20 respectively, ahead of the launch of The Kingdom Exodus on November 27, which will be released weekly through, fittingly, the perfect Christmas present on December 25.

The Kingdom Exodus continues and finishes Lars von Trier’s internationally acclaimed 1990s cult series classic––the ghost story about the hospital built on top of the old bleaching ponds in Copenhagen, where evil has taken roots and medical science faces a daily struggle with itself.

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Fantastic Beasts star Mads Mikkelsen appears broody in the first-look image from The Bastard, Mikkelsen’s upcoming Danish-language feature that reteams him with his A Royal Affair director Nikolaj Arcel.

The image, released Thursday by The Bastard producer Zentropa, shows Mikkelsen as Captain Ludvig Kahlen, a 17th-century soldier who sets out on an impossible task: to clear and cultivate the wild Jutland heath for the Danish crown. The first shot from the film shows Mikkelsen surrounded by swirling smoke as workers behind him set fire to the heath. Amanda Collin (Raised by Wolves) co-stars.

From left: Mads Mikkelsen and director Nicolaj Arcel on set of ‘The Bastard.’

Zentropa on Thursday also unveiled the remaining cast, including Simon Bennebjerg (Borgen), who plays Kalen’s nemesis, the local landowner Frederik de Schinkel, and Norwegian actress Kristine Kujath Thorp (Ninjababy) as de Schinkel’s cousin Edel Helene.

Gustav Lindh (Queen Of Hearts) and Simon Bennebjerg (Borgen) among new cast.

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Gustav Lindh (Queen Of Hearts) and Simon Bennebjerg (Borgen) have joined the previously announced Mads Mikkelsen and Amanda Collin in the cast for Nikolaj Arcel’s new film The Bastard.

In Cannes, the film was announced with the working title of King’s Land.

Other new cast are Kristine Kujath Thorp (Sick Of Myself), Magnus Krepper (Queen Of Hearts), Morten Hee Andersen (Ride Upon The Storm), Jakob Lohmann (Riders Of Justice) and Felix Kramer (Dark).

The film is now shooting in Denmark, Germany and the Czech...

Zentropa Entertainments has unveiled the full cast of Nikolaj Arcel’s new epic historical drama “The Bastard” (previously known as the working title “King’s Land”). The movie has just started shooting.

Along with Mads Mikkelsen and Amanda Collin (“Raised by Wolves”), the movie will star Simon Bennebjerg (“Borgen”) who will play the Frederik de Schinkel, the local landowner and nemesis to Mads Mikkelsen’s character Ludvig Kahlen. Norwegian actress Kristine Kujath Thorp will play Frederik de Schinkel’s cousin Edel Helene, trapped in a deadly game between Shinkel and Kahlen of power and love. The cast also includes European Shooting Star winner Gustav Lindh (“Riders of Justice”) who will play pastor Anton Eklund, Kahlen’s unlikely ally.

Other cast members include Jakob Lohmann (“Riders of Justice”), Morten Hee Andersen (“Ride Upon the Storm”), Magnus Krepper (“Queen of Hearts”) and Felix Kramer (“Dark”), among others.

Believed to be Zentropa’s...