We can with great pride announce that Viaplay Original thriller series THE FORTRESS, is selected for International Competition at this year's Series Mania 2023, where it will have its world premiere.
Lars von Trier's THE KINGDOM EXODUS has been selected for Out of Competition.
Copenhagen, 8 February 2023 – Series Mania has today announced the selection of THE FORTRESS in International Competition. The dystopian suspense thriller, takes place in the near future 2037, where the world has changed drastically and Norway is shut off from the world. THE FORTRESS will compete against 7 other titles for the prestigious award.
THE KINGDOM EXODUS by Danish auteur Lars von Trier has been selected for Out of Competition and will screen the first two episodes of the final season in his cult series.
THE FORTRESS is based on the idea of and scripted by Linn-Jeanethe Kyed and John Kåre Råke (THE WAVE, THE QUAKE). The series is directed by conceptual directors Mikkel Brænne Sandemose, who is particularly known for his family adventure franchise THE ASH LAD, and Cecilie Askeland Mosli, who directed episodes of the Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe-winning drama series GREY’S ANATOMY (2005-) and Emmy Award-winning drama series MAMMON (2014-16).
For this project, Sandemose once again teams up with the talented producers at Maipo Film, which also produced Canneseries-winning drama series STATE OF HAPPINESS (2018), Sundance-selected HOMESICK (2015) and Academy Award®-nominated and San Sebastian-winning ELLING (2001).
The series stars Norwegian actor Tobias Santelmann (OUT STEALING HORSES, 2019) in the lead alongside British actor Russell Tovey (THE GOOD LIAR, 2019) and talented upcoming actress Selome Emnetu.
Managing Director of TrustNordisk, Susan Wendt, comments on the nomination:
'To have THE FORTRESS selected for International Competition at Series Mania is a great honor and we look forward to the world premiere of THE FORTRESS . We can't wait for viewers to experience this great series, where its themes make it extremely current and with an appeal that people all around the world can relate to, especially after these few last years'.
Synopsis:
In the near future, Norway has chosen to sever all ties with the rest of the world. Surrounded by an enormous wall, the nation has become entirely self-sufficient. The fortunate inhabitants enjoy a life of well-being in safety. However, when there’s an outbreak of a fatal disease, they soon find themselves trapped behind the very wall that was built to protect them.
THE FORTRESS is written by John Kåre Raake and Linn-Jeanethe Kyed and directed by Cecilie A. Mosli and Mikkel B. Sandemose. The series is produced by Ales Ree and Synnøve Hørsdal for Maipo Film, and co-producers are Violeta Drazdauskė and Kęstutis Drazdauskas for ArtBox. Executive producers from Viaplay are Kari Moen Kristiansen and Tanya Nanette Badendyck. It has received production support from Media Creative Europe, the Norwegian Film Institute and Zefyr. THE FORTRESS is a Viaplay Original.
Expected broadcast on Viaplay in Spring 2023 with delivery set for Q3 2023.
The series will consist of 7 episodes of approx 45 minutes each. The first 2 episodes of THE FORTRESS, will be screened at Series Mania 2023.
THE KINGDOM EXODUS Series Mania selection
The series world premiered at Venice film festival 2022 and has since toured international festivals Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and BFI London International Film Festival, among others.
Synopsis
Heavily influenced by the two previous seasons of the ghostly series THE KINGDOM, the sleepwalker Karen seeks answers to the unresolved questions of the series in order to save the hospital from doom. Sound asleep one night, Karen wanders into the darkness and inexplicably ends up in front of the hospital. The gate to the Kingdom is opening once more...
With THE KINGDOM EXODUS, Lars von Trier continues and finishes his 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 the medical science faces a daily struggle with itself, where the Swedes curse the Danes, and the mysterious and inexplicable blend together in a mixture of horror and humour.
Lars von Trier’s THE KINGDOM EXODUS is presented by VIAPLAY and DR. Produced by ZENTROPA ENTERTAINMENTS in co-production with FILM I VÄST, ZENTROPA SWEDEN and GINGER PICTURES. With support from NORDISK FILM & TV FOND and tax shelter provided by BNP PARIBAS FORTIS FILM FINANCE and developed with the support of THE CREATIVE EUROPE MEDIA PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. International sales are handled by TRUSTNORDISK.
