‘The Dark Tower’ Director Nikolaj Arcel Talks Mads Mikkelsen Epic ‘The Promised Land’: ‘I Couldn’t Have Made it in Hollywood’
variety.comMarta Balaga Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel, who was behind “The Dark Tower” with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey – is bringing back the historical epic with “The Promised Land,” which world premieres in Venice Film Festival competition section.
Set in 1755 and based on a true story, it sees captain Ludvig Kahlen (played by Mads Mikkelsen) deciding to finally conquer the Danish heathland and build a colony there.
But its ruler, Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), doesn’t want to share the inhospitable land. Or anything else, for that matter. “Today, it’s more about action and superheroes, but I’m very interested in taking that genre, one that has gotten a bit lost, and modernizing it,” he says. “It has this western quality because it’s about pioneers in a new land, trying to build something, but I was more interested in looking at old epics like ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ I think it’s a genre we need.” Despite his brushes with Hollywood, Arcel wanted to keep things local.
Produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments, it was co-written by his regular collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen, while TrustNordisk handles sales. “I couldn’t have made this film in Hollywood.
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