Nikolaj Arcel’s epic drama The Bastard brings together an outstanding Nordic cast for Zentropa

Zentropa Entertainments has revealed the full cast of Nikolaj Arcel’s new epic historical drama The Bastard (previously known by the working title King’s Land). The film has just started shooting.

Also starring alongside Mads Mikkelsen and Amanda Collin (“Raised by Wolves”) is Simon Bennebjerg (“Borgen”), who will play Frederik de Schinkel, the local landowner and nemesis of Mads Mikkelsen’s character Ludvig Kahlen. Norwegian actress Kristine Kujath Thorp (“Ninjababy”, “Sick of Myself”) will play Frederik de Schinkel’s cousin Edel Helene, caught in a deadly game between Shinkel and Kahlen for power and love. The cast also includes European Shooting Star winner Gustav Lindh (“Riders of Justice”), who will play Pastor Anton Eklund, Kahlen’s unlikely ally.

Other cast members include Jakob Lohmann (“Riders of Justice”), Morten Hee Andersen (“Ride Upon the Storm”), Magnus Krepper (“Queen of Hearts”) and Felix Kramer (“Dark”).

The $8 million feature film is considered Zentropa’s biggest feature film in years and has already been released in the US (Magnolia Pictures), Germany (PLAION PICTURES), France (The Jokers Films), Benelux (September Films) and Hungary ( swindle media).

Co-authored by Arcel with critically acclaimed Danish screenwriter and director Anders Thomas Jensen (“Riders of Justice”), the new project is based on the Danish bestseller Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara (translated as The Captain and Ann Barbara). from 2020 Produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments.

Arcel’s film adaptation will be a gripping drama about the conquest of the Danish heath.
In the mid-17th century, the Danish King Frederik V declared that the wild Jutland heath should be tamed, cultivated and colonized so that civilization could spread and generate new taxes for the royal house.