'The Last Viking' Venice Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Samuel Goldwyn Films has boarded The Last Viking, picking up U.S. rights to the Danish dark comedy starring Mads Mikkelsen. The dramedy, from Danish director Anders Thomas Jensen, reteams Mikkelsen with his Riders of Justice co-star Nikolaj Lie Kaas in a wild tale about trauma, identity, and the Beatles. The Last Viking had its world premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere in Toronto. Samuel Goldwyn Films had success with Mikkelsen's Oscar-winning Another Round, which it released stateside. Peter Goldwyn, president at Samuel Goldwyn Films negotiated the deal for The Last Viking with Susan Wendt, managing director at TrustNordisk, which is handling world sales for the film. The Last Viking has nearly sold out worldwide, with TrustNordisk confirmed deals for more than 60 territories, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Related Stories Movies Busan: Cutting Edge Films Partners With Top French Colorist Yov Moor Movies San Sebastian Film Fest Boss Talks Legacy, Jennifer Lawrence, and a Glenn Close Dinner for the Ages The oddball plot of the film sees Kaas and Mikkelsen playing two very different brothers. Kaas is Anker, a bank robber whose loot is entrusted to traumatized younger brother Manfred (Mikkelsen). By the time Kaas is finally released from prison, Manfred - a former Viking obsessive - has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. He now believes he's John Lennon. To jog his memory as to where he stored the cash, Kaas decides to find a collection of similarly afflicted patients - ones that think they're George, Ringo and Paul - and bring the Fab Four back together. The Last Viking marks Jensen's sixth collaboration with Mikkelsen and Lie Kaas. Alongside Riders of Justice in 2020, they include Flickering Lights (2000), The Green Butchers (2003), Adam's Apples (2005), and Men & Chicken (2015). Jensen is also a sought-after screenwriter, with writing credits for Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning drama In A Better World (2010) and Nikolaj Arcel's The Promised Land (2023). THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up international Busan: Cutting Edge Films Partners With Top French Colorist Yov Moor San Sebastian Film Festival San Sebastian Film Fest Boss Talks Legacy, Jennifer Lawrence, and a Glenn Close Dinner for the Ages Viennale 'Awakening': With Timely Viennale Trailer, Joanna Hogg Follows in the Footsteps of David Lynch, Jean-Luc Godard Train Dreams 'Train Dreams' Filmmakers Clint Bentley and Joel Edgerton Honored With THR Trailblazer Award for Sustainable Storytelling Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence to Star in Martin Scorsese's Ghost Story Movie 'What Happens At Night' international From Shorts to Stardom: Busan's New Currents Turns 30 international Busan: Cutting Edge Films Partners With Top French Colorist Yov Moor San Sebastian Film Festival San Sebastian Film Fest Boss Talks Legacy, Jennifer Lawrence, and a Glenn Close Dinner for the Ages Viennale 'Awakening': With Timely Viennale Trailer, Joanna Hogg Follows in the Footsteps of David Lynch, Jean-Luc Godard Train Dreams 'Train Dreams' Filmmakers Clint Bentley and Joel Edgerton Honored With THR Trailblazer Award for Sustainable Storytelling Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence to Star in Martin Scorsese's Ghost Story Movie 'What Happens At Night' international From Shorts to Stardom: Busan's New Currents Turns 30