Danish Hit Political Thriller ‘Kongekabale’ Gets Sequel With ‘Kingmaker,’ Boarded by SF Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

SF Studios, the leading Scandinavian banner behind “Snabba Cash” and “A Man Called Otto,” has boarded “Kingmaker,” the sequel of the 2004 Danish hit movie “Kongekabale.”

The political thriller is an adaptation of Niels Krause-Kjær’s second novel “Mørkeland” about the adventures of an investigative journalist, Ulrik Torp. The initial movie was a local blockbuster, selling over 550,000 tickets in Danish theaters.

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The film, directed by Mikkel Serup, brings back Anders W. Berthelsen in the lead role as Ulrik Torp, starring alongside Danish star Nicolas Bro (“Riders of Justice”) and Charlotte Munck (“Open Spaces”) also returning in their roles. Penned by Marie Østerbye, “Kingmaker” is produced by Sara Namer and Morten Kjems Hytten Juhl at Meta Film, and executive produced by Meta Film’s Louise Foldager. SF Studios distributes the film in the Nordics, while REinvent handles international sales.

“Much has changed since ‘Kongekabale’ was released in 2004,” said Serup. “The media, the political scene, and of course the audience have all evolved dramatically, and we must all navigate clickbait and the echo chambers of social media,” the director continued.

The sequel takes place 20 years later and tells the story of Torp, once a fearless investigative journalist who is now tackling unemployment and a midlife crisis. He finds himself in the middle of a new political conspiracy.

Serup previously directed TV series such as “Livvagterne,” “Pros and Cons” and “The Chestnut Man,” as well as “Pound for Pound” which earned Søren Malling a Bodil for best supporting actor and two additional Bodil nominations for Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Lene Maria Christensen.

The cast is completed by Patrick A. Hansen, Sofie Nolsøe, Mathilde Arcel Fock, Simon Kongsted, Mathilde Eusebius, Ellaha Lack, Mohamed Djeziri (“The Day We Died,” “Darkland: The Return”), and Sara Fanta (“Empire”). The cast also includes Lene Maria Christensen in the role as politician Anne-Grethe Hulsig, Tommy Kenter in the role as businessman Otto Brathenberg and Ina-Miriam Rosenbaum in the role as the editor’s Best Bente.

”It’s such a joy to be able to bring back the universe of Danish political thriller to the Danish audience together with Meta film and their super talented creatives”, said Yaba Holst, head of Nordic acquisition at SF Studios.

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