FIRST STILLS AND NEW SALES REVEALED OF NIKOLAJ ARCEL'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EPIC DRAMA 'THE BASTARD' WITH MADS MIKKELSEN
TrustNordisk now reveals new sales and first stills from THE BASTARD, the anticipated epic historical drama by internationally acknowledged director Nikolaj Arcel featuring Mads Mikkelsen, among others.
Copenhagen, 26 May 2023 – Today, TrustNordisk is delighted to reveal the first four stills from critically acclaimed Danish director Nikolaj Arcel's THE BASTARD, on behalf of the Danish production house Zentropa. The stills present the film's lead characters, played by Mads Mikkelsen (FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE, 2022; ANOTHER ROUND, 2020) as Captain Ludvig Kahlen, Amanda Collin (RAISED BY WOLVES, 2020-22) as the housekeeper Ann Barbara and Simon Bennebjerg (BORGEN, 2022; THE PACT, 2021) as the landowner Frederik de Schinkel. Together the four stills give audiences a taste of what awaits from THE BASTARD.
The film is a gripping drama, based on true event about one man's steely quest to create his own happiness and to change the map of Denmark forever. But in his pursuit of wealth, honor and power, he risks sacrificing love and losing those he cares about.
Besides, revealing first stills, Zentropa also reveals the local premiere date, a nationwide release set for 5 October 2023, and with well over four months to the local premiere, it is evident that both the local and international audiences await the film with great anticipation.
THE BASTARD sells wide internationally
Estimated to be one of Zentropa’s biggest feature films in years and with a budget of EUR 8M, the feature has already received massive attention within the industry and TrustNordisk can now disclose a slew of sales including Canada (Mongrel Media), Poland (Best Film), Spain (Divisa Red), Former Yugoslavia (MC F Megacom), Greece (Weirdwave), Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Estin Film) and Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe).
Previous sales include, early pre-sales to US (Magnolia Pictures), Germany (Plaion Pictures), France (The Jokers Films), Benelux (September Films) and Hungary (Vertigo Media), underlining the immense attention that the film has already received from the industry. Nordisk Film will distribute the film in the Nordic territories.
For the first time since the Academy Award-nominated A ROYAL AFFAIR (2012), Nikolaj Arcel is back as director of a Danish film. Together with critically acclaimed Danish screenwriter and director Anders Thomas Jensen (RIDERS OF JUSTICE, 2020), Arcel has written the script, which is based on the Danish bestseller ‘Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara’ (translated ‘The Captain and Ann Barbara’) from 2020. Produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments.
Synopsis:
In the mid-1700s, Danish King Frederik V declared that the wild heath of Jutland should be tamed, cultivated, and colonized so that civilization could spread and new taxes be generated for the royal house.
However, no one dared to follow the King’s decree. The heath meant certain death – a godforsaken place haunted by ravenous wolves, highwaymen, and a brutal and unforgiving nature.
But in the late summer of 1755, a lone soldier by the name of Ludvig Kahlen rode into the heath in a stubborn pursuit of a lifelong dream, determined to reach his goal: The heath would either bring him the wealth and honour he had long seeked… or get the better of him.
Produced by Zentropa Entertainments ApS in co-production with Zentropa Berlin GmbH, Zentropa Sweden AB in cooperation with TV2 Denmark, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, SVT, PLAION PICTURES in co-production with Film i Väst with support from Danish Film Institute Markedsordningen, Eurimages, Den Vestdanske Filmpulje, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Czech Film Fund and Swedish Film Institute. Developed by the Creative Europe Media Programme – Media of the European Union. Distribution through Nordisk Film. International sales through TrustNordisk.
THE BASTARD will premiere locally on 5 October 2023.
Scenes were exclusively presented to buyers during Cannes Marché du Film.