Scripted

TrustNordisk has released the first four stills from critically acclaimed Danish director Nikolaj Arcel's The Bastard, from Danish production company Zentropa which has also revealed the local premiere date, October 5, 2023.

The photos show the film's main characters, played by Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Another Round), Amanda Collin (Raised by Wolves) and Simon Bennebjerg (Borgen, The Pact).

The gripping drama feature is based on the true story of a man's quest to find happiness and to change the map of Denmark forever, even if it costs him love and losing those he cares about.

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, but no one dared to follow the King’s decree, as 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 (portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen) rode into the heath in a stubborn pursuit of a lifelong dream, determined to reach his goal at all costs.

Possibly one of Zentropa’s biggest films in years and with a budget of € 8 Million, The Bastard has already received massive attention, so much so that TrustNordisk has already sold its rights to 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).

Also, the distribution company has achieved early pre-sales to the US (Magnolia Pictures), Germany (Plaion Pictures), France (The Jokers Films), Benelux (September Films) and Hungary (Vertigo Media), while Nordisk Film will distribute the film in the Nordic territories.

Nikolaj Arcel is back as director and, together with critically acclaimed Danish screenwriter and director Anders Thomas Jensen, he has written the script which is based on the Danish 2020 bestseller Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara (tr: The Captain and Ann Barbara). The movie is produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments.

Zentropa Entertainments ApS is producing the film in co-production with Zentropa Berlin GmbH, Zentropa Sweden AB, and in cooperation with TV2 Denmark, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, SVT, PLAION PICTURES. The co-production also includes 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. Nordisk Film is set to distribute, while TrustNordisk will handle international sales.