From a short promo, Arcel’s A Royal Affair sold to US, Australia
Concluding principal photography after 40 days in the Czech Republic, Danish director Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair has been sold to the US (Magnolia) and Australia-New Zealand (Madman) through TrustNordisk. Presented on a short promo, Arcel’s fourth feature has previously been licensed to, ao, Germany (MFA), the UK (Metrodome), and Spain (Golem).
Starring Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Valhalla Rising [+see also:
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Set in the 18th century, and scripted by Rasmus Heisterberg, who co-wrote Arcel’s award-winning King’s Game (2004), A Royal Affair follows the love affair between German physician Johann Friedrich Struensee and Danish Queen Caroline Mathilde, an English princess who at 15 was married to Denmark’s schizophrenic King Christian VII.
In 1769, appointed the physician-in-ordinary to the king, Struensee gained strong influence at court and became the queen’s lover. As cabinet minister from 1790, he more or less governed Denmark during 1790, introducing freedom of the press and abolishing torture. He was brought down by a conspiracy, accused of having usurped the king’s power, and subsequently decapitated.
Supported by, ao, the Danish Film Institute and Eurimages, the €6.1m (DKK 45.5m) epic is produced by Meta Foldager, Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Aalbæk Jensen, who chose to film in the Czech Republic because of its tradition for historical pictures. The 40-day schedule was spent at Prague and other 20 locations, with 10 days at the Barrandov Studios.
”A great romantic love story, about forbidden love, and a man who almost changed the course of history,” said Arcel of his work Nordisk Film will launch on March 15, 2012.
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