Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to Held For Ransom (aka Daniel), a hostage thriller based on the true story of Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye, who was abducted by ISIS in Syria in 2013 and held hostage for more than a year before he was released. An October 15 theatrical and digital release is planned.
Esben Smed (The Kindness of Strangers), Toby Kebbell (Kong: Skull Island), Sofie Torp and Anders W. Berthelsen star in the pic, which was co-directed by Niels Arden Oplev and Anders W. Berthelsen. Anders Thomas Jensen penned the screenplay adapted from a novel by Puk Damsgaard.
Rye (played by Smed) was captured by ISIS in 2013 and held hostage for 398 days in Syria along with several other foreign nationals including American journalist James Foley, who was eventually beheaded by ISIS in while in captivity. The film follows Daniel’s struggle to survive, his friendship with James (Kebbell), and the nightmare of Rye’s family in Denmark as they try to save their son.
Producers are Morten Kaufmann and Signe Leick Jensen for Toolbox Film.
Samuel Goldwyn’s Miles Fineburg negotiated the rights deal with Susan Wendt of TrustNordisk on behalf of the filmmakers.
