While Mads Mikkelsen has been part of his share of blockbusters, such as Rogue One, Fantastic Beasts, and the most recent Indiana Jones, he’s got a long history of Danish dramas, too. One of those, 2012’s A Royal Affair, was a breakthrough and paired him for the first time with director Nikolaj Arcel, known for the original Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Well, now Mikkelsen and Arcel are together again for The Promised Land, a new film set to have its world premiere in Venice.
Mikkelsen is so good at playing men driven with a singular, passionate goal, and this is no different. He plays the real-life Ludvig Kahlen, a soldier whose lifelong dream is to cultivate the barren Jutland heath, please the King, and achieve honor and wealth. This nearly impossible task is further complicated by a vengeful landowner.
The cast includes Simon Bennebjerg, Melina Hagberg, and Amanda Collin of Max series Raised by Wolves.
Here’s the synopsis: In 1755, the impoverished captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with a seemingly impossible goal: to build a colony in the name of the King. In exchange, he’ll receive a desperately desired Royal name for himself. But the sole ruler of the area, the merciless Frederik de Schinkel, arrogantly believes this land belongs to him. When De Schinkel learns that the maid Ann Barbara and her servant husband have escaped for refuge with Kahlen, the privileged and spiteful ruler swears revenge, doing everything in his power to drive the captain away. Kahlen will not be intimidated and engages in an unequal battle—risking not only his life, but also that of the family of outsiders that has formed around him.
The Promised Land does not have a stateside release date yet, but expect that to change following the Venice Film Festival.
