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PRODUCTION Netherlands

Rutger Hauer will play kidnapped Dutch beer boss

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One of the most famous kidnapping cases in Dutch history is headed for the big screen. Director Maarten Treurniet (Father’s Affair) will be directing De Heineken Ontvoering (“The Heineken Kidnapping”), which recounts the 1983 abduction of Freddy Heineken, the then-director of the famous Dutch brewery of the same name.

On the night of November 9, 1983, Heineken and his driver were kidnapped by four young men, including the son of one of Heineken’s employees. The two men were held in a secret part of a woodwork factory in an industrial zone in the port of Amsterdam. The criminals asked for – and received – 35m guilders (about €16m) in exchange for Heineken, but before they freed their detainee, an anonymous tip allowed the police to locate the two men and free them.

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The captain of industry will be played by Rutger Hauer, who, after a long career abroad that includes Bladerunner and, more recently, Batman Begins and Hobo with a Shotgun, has again started acting in Dutch films. Recent productions with the Dutch veteran actor include Bride Flight [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Ben Sombogaart
interview: Hanneke Niens
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]
, Dazzle and the upcoming Paula van der Oest drama Black Butterflies [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
.

Three of the four kidnappers have also already been cast. They will be played by up-and-coming talents Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Gijs Naber and Teun Kuilboer.

Frans van Gestel and Arnold Helsenfeld at IDTV Film are attached as producers, with Richard Claus signed on as executive producer. Broadcaster VARA will co-produce, while the film has also received backing from the Netherlands Film Fund, NPO, the CoBO Fonds (Telescoop), Suppletiefonds and private investments through filminvesteringen.nl.

Shooting is scheduled to start next month, for a release in November of this year, courtesy of A-Film.

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