DARKLAND: THE RETURN opens with a bang – debuting as number one with over 53,000 tickets sold in the premiere weekend. It is the biggest opening of the year for a Danish film and, including previews, the film has already passed 60,000 tickets.
Copenhagen, 18 April 2023 – We are excited to announce that Profile Pictures and Fenar Ahmad’s pulsating thriller DARKLAND: THE RETURN has the highest opening weekend in Denmark going straight to number one! The film has had an impressive premiere weekend that has drawn tens of thousands of cinemagoers into the dark, received an array of stars and praises from critics' across the country and exceeded Nordisk Film Distribution's own high expectations.
DARKLAND: THE RETURN released on 13 April and is the highest premiere weekend of the year for a Danish picture with 53,109 tickets sold in its opening weekend, Thursday-Sunday, placing it first on the weekend box office chart with 880.899 EUR. If sneak peak premiere tickets are included, the movie has sold 60,145 tickets only four days after its opening.
Lots of stars and praise
Fenar Ahmad's pulsating action drama about the cardiologist Zaid, who after seven years in prison chooses to infiltrate the Copenhagen gang environment in the hope of being reunited with his son, received great reviews at the premiere on Thursday, with five-star and strong reviews from, among others. B.T., Politiken, Soundvenue, Ekko and Moovy.dk
DARKLAND: THE RETURN once again stars Dar Salim, and for his all-dominant lead performance as Zaid, Dar Salim was showered with superlatives from the country's reviewers. Salim stars in the soon to premiere Guy Ritchie film THE COVENANT (2023), in which he plays opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. In addition to Salim's acting, Fenar Ahmad's direction, the film's visual look and the performances of the Danish-Iranian actor Soheil Bavir as the intelligent mastermind Muhdir and the debutante Abud Mustafa as Muhdir's temperamental right-hand man Jimmy were well highlighted in the vast majority of media
International sales and market screening in Cannes
The Fantastic Fest-selected DARKLAND was a definite success, but the numbers suggest that DARKLAND:THE RETURN might be an even bigger one, as the film surpasses its predecessor, which sold 40,000 tickets in its opening weekend in January 2017 and ended up selling over 180,000 cinema tickets. DARKLAND was equally sold wide internationally, and DARKLAND: THE RETURN is expected to do the same with the latests sales, including a wide range of territories, France (Kinovista), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg (Leonine Distribution).
TrustNordisk will have closed market screenings (buyers only) of the film in Cannes. Further details to be announced closer to the festival.
DARKLAND: THE RETURN is directed by Fenar Ahmad and written by Fenar Ahmad & Behrouz Bigdeli. The film is produced by Jacob Jarek and Marta Mleczek for Profile Pictures with support from the Danish Film Institute by commissioning editor Lotte Svendsen, in collaboration with DR – Danish Broadcasting Corporation & Nordisk Film Distribution. International sales is handled by TrustNordisk.
The feature has a budget of EUR 2.8M and released locally on 13 April 2023.
DARKLAND: THE RETURN will screen in Cannes as closed market screenings.
To learn more about the film, please visit our website