The third and final instalment in the Danish cult hospital series is set to start filming in 2021.
Zentropa is producing, with support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.The fans of von Trier’s eery mini-series set in a Copenhagen neurosurgical unit that ran in the 1990s will be pleased to hear that five more episodes will be available on Nent Group’s streamer Viaplay in 2022 - right after on the Danish pubcaster DR. TrustNordisk handles world sales.
The third season The Kingdom Exodus (Porten til riget) is directed and written again by von Trier with Niels Vørsel.
In a statement, TrustNordisk says the series about good and evil, will be both frightening and funny.
“The old feud between the Swedes and the Danes at the hospital is still fiery, and the constitution of the Kingdom is fragile. A curse still lies on the old hospital, and what seemed fictitious in The Kingdom 1 and 2 [launched respectively in 1994 and 1997] may not be so unreal after all. So be prepared to take the good with the bad in the third and final season!”, says the presentation.
In a cryptic statement, von Trier says: “Borders come in many forms; they may be lines drawn with rulers on white paper (often invisible to whoever chances to visit the actual geographical locations). The lines of the borders may be illustrative, if not to say quite fictitious and downright mean; they may be drawn in a soft, red colour, practically invisible, and perhaps even as a dotted line, almost as if indicating an apology or even - shame. Nevertheless, the lines hang there in inconceivable numbers and together they constitute those ‘territories’ that the inhabitants are strong enough to defend. Entering and leaving often entail violence, for, of course, any visitor is expected to return after ending his or her business.
"On Earth, “the Machine that makes everything go round (all life, that is)” is dependent on the conflicts which the lines provoke, as if by design.
"Whether Exodus actually means “entering” or “leaving” depends on the angle from which the border is observed, but the word simply describes a large number of individuals crossing a pencil-drawn line together.
"Why?..... There is an imbalance between good and evil! The limit has been reached, at least at the Kingdom…. But I cannot testify that it will be easy and bloodless to pick the seven astral locks of the world simultaneously with doctor’s blood.”
The series is produced by Zentropa’s Louise Vesth for Viaplay and DR, in co-production with Film i Väst, Zentropa Sweden, Ginger Pictures, with co-financing from BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, support from Creative Media Europe and Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
Filippa Wallestam, EVP and Chief Content Officer at Nent Group said: “We are incredibly happy and proud of our collaboration with Lars von Trier, Zentropa and DR to produce The Kingdom Exodus, an independent work that doesn’t require that you have seen the first seasons. The Kingdom 1 and 2 were highly acclaimed both at home and internationally and have won numerous awards. We therefore have high expectations of The Kingdom Exodus, which will certainly be both entertaining and very scary.”
In connection with the production of this new series, a restored version of the first 8 episodes of The Kingdom 1 and 2 will also be available.