Magnolia Pictures has acquired domestic U.S. rights to an epic period drama called “King’s Land” starring Mads Mikkelsen, the company announced on Friday.
The film is produced by Danish production powerhouse Zentropa, and was sold by TrustNordisk.
“King’s Land” (working title) is co-written and directed by Arcel and Danish screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen (“Riders of Justice”) and is based on the Danish bestseller “The Captain and Ann Barbara” from 2020. And Mikkelsen will be joined in the cast by Amanda Collin, who stars in Ridley Scott’s HBO Max drama series “Raised By Wolves” and 2017’s “A Horrible Woman.”
Arcel’s screen adaptation will be a drama about the conquest of the Danish heath and is the story of a proud and uncompromising man and the woman who becomes his ally in the fight against evil, death and perdition. Here’s the full 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.
The film is 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 and Koch Films. Film i Väst co-produced with the 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.
The deal was brokered by Magnolia EVP Dori Begley and SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden, and by Susan Wendt of TrustNordisk on behalf of the filmmakers. TrustNordisk is handling international sales.