Bille August to Direct Mini-Series ‘A Fortunate Man,’ TrustNordisk to Handle Worldwide Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

By Elsa Keslassy / Variety

17-10-2017

 

Critically acclaimed Danish auteur Bille August is set to direct “A Fortunate Man,” a mini-series based on nobel prize winning author Henrik Pontoppidan´s 1898 novel “Lykke-Per” (“Lucky Per”).

 

TrustNordisk is handling worldwide sales on the four-part period drama which is being produced by Nordisk Film Production.

 

“A Fortunate Man” toplines a cast of up-and-coming actors including Esben Smed (“Sommeren ´92”), Katrine Greis-Rosenthal (“Bron/Broen”) and veteran actor Tommy Kenter (“Marie Krøyer”).

 

“A Fortunate Man” follows a young man, Per, who decides to break free from his strict religious home and leave his patriarch father in Jutland, an island on the top of Denmark, in a quest for happiness. Per travels to Copenhagen where he become an renowned and highly successful engineer and marries a beautiful girl who belongs to a wealthy Jewish family.

 

But Per´s childhood keeps haunting him and his dogmatic family cannot accept his new life. Despite his luck and success, Per is plagued with fears that he will repeat his father´s patriarchist behavior.

 

Based on its creative package, “A Fortunate Man” ranks as one the most ambitious European series to come.

 

A leading Scandinavian director who has been balancing out auteur films and more mainstream fare in Danish and English languages, August won Cannes´s Palme d´Or twice, for his 1987 film “Pelle the Conqueror” and in 1992 for “The Best Intentions,” based on Ingmar Bergman´s autobiographical script. “Pelle the Conqueror” also won an Oscar and Golden Globe.

 

August´s latest film, “55 Steps” (“Eleanor and Colett”), a drama starring Helena Bonham Carter, Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Tambor, world premiered at this year´s Toronto.

 

TrustNordisk´s building slate of ambitious TV drama projects also includes HBO Europe´s first Scandinavian original, “Gosta,” a drama which is penned and will be directed by Swedish helmer Lukas Moodysson (“Together,””Lilya 4-Ever”).