Global Heavy Metal Frontman Sets Sail On Viking Saga
September 2013 – Global heavy metal vocalist, Johan Hegg, has been confirmed to join the cast of Northmen- A Viking Saga. Ralph Dietrich, chief executive officer, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, made the announcement today.
Hegg, the frontman of Sweden’s heavy metal titans Amon Amarth, will join the production in South Africa this month, playing the role of Viking warrior Valli.
Said Hegg “The mythology behind our Viking heritage is engrained in everything we do and it is awesome to have the opportunity to be part of Northmen-A Viking Saga. This is going to be one epic adventure and I cannot wait to be on set with my co-stars and this fantastic filmmaking team!”
Dietrich added “It is an honour to have metal icon, Johan Hegg, set sail with us and we could not be more excited. Such a fitting addition, Johan’s music, as the lead singer of Amon Amarth, is synonymous with the Viking experience that we are bringing to life in Northmen-A Viking Saga.”
Amon Amarth are a melodic heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden who this past June released their ninth studio album titled Deceiver Of The Gods via Metal Blade Records. The album landed at #19 on the US Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, #3 on the German Top 100 album chart making it the band’s highest charting album to date.
Hegg joins an international cast including; Tom Hopper (Knights of Badassdom, Black Sails, Merlin), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, The Right Kind of Wrong), Ken Duken (Das Adlon, Inglorious Basterds), Charlie Murphy (Philomena, The Village), Ed Skrein (The Sweeney, Ill Manors, Game of Thrones), Anatole Taubman (Quantum of Solace, The Tudors) and James Norton (Rush, Belle).
Directed by Claudio Fäh (Sniper: Reloaded, Hollow Man 2) and scripted by Matthias Bauer and Bastian Zach, the film is co-produced by Elite Filmproduktion AG, Jumping Horse Film GmbH and Two Oceans Production. The producers are Karin G. Dietrich, Ralph S. Dietrich and Daniel Hoeltschi for Elite, Giselher Venzke and Bertha Spieker for TOP and Marco Del Bianco, Frank Kaminski, Ulrich Stiehm and Rolf Wappenschmitt for Jumping Horse. VFX production is by Day for Night GmbH.
Nordmedia Fonds GmbH has subsidised the project’s development to date, with production financing from Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen. NORTHMEN receives further subsidies from South African National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department Trade and Industry (DTI).
The Salt Company (London) is handling worldwide sales and contracts have already been placed for major territories including the UK, France, Scandinavia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
© Elite Filmproduktion
Synopsis
A gang of Viking marauders under the command of their young leader, Asbjörn (Tom Hopper), bear down on the coast of Britain, intent on pillaging Lindisfarne of its gold. But, caught in a vicious storm, their longboat is dashed to pieces on the rocks off Scotland. Trapped deep within enemy territory, the shipwrecked mens’ only chance of survival is to reach the safety of the Viking stronghold Danelag.
With only the enigmatic Conall (Ryan Kwanten), a monk who preaches with his sword to help them, they cut a bloody swath through anyone who gets in their way. But the journey becomes a race for their lives when the King of Scotland sends his most feared mercenaries, the Wolf Pack, after them. Traversing an unfamiliar and hostile land, they are pursued relentlessly. However the hunters become the hunted when the Vikings, eager for battle, set deadly traps and mercilessly decimate their pursuers one by one…
About Elite Filmproduktion AG
An offshoot of ASCOT ELITE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, est. in 1929, with offices in Zurich, Munich and Stuttgart, and one of the leading independent distributors in Europe. ELITE FILMPRODUKTION has produced more than 300 movies such as NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS (Antonio Banderas, Rebecca De Mornay), STORIA DI PIERA (Isabelle Huppert, Hanna Schygulla, Marcello Mastroianni), THE WILD GEESE (Roger Moore, Richard Burton), THE COMMANDER (Lee van Cleef, Lewis Collins), DER COMMANDO LEOPARD (Klaus Kinski, Lewis Collins). Recent Co-Productions include CARGO (Sci-Fi-Thriller) and DER VERDINGBUB (highest grossing Swiss film 2011). With NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA, Elite Entertainment Group returns producing for the International market.
About Jumping Horse Film GmbH (German Co-Producers)
Jumping Horse Film, Hannover was founded in 2005 by Frank Kaminski and Ulrich Stiehm as a production company for features and TV films. In 2010 producer Marco Del Bianco and experienced line producer Rolf Wappenschmitt became partners. Jumping Horse Film has produced or coproduced several feature length films for the German and international market and has worked with partners such as ProSiebenSat.1, ARD and arte. Next to a strong focus on executive production JHF recently has been expanding its expertise to VFX supervision and production.
About The Salt Company
Salt produces, finances, markets, packages and sells films by new and established filmmakers: from the upcoming Miss You Already with Toni Collette to Dirty Girl with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy (released by The Weinstein Co). Other projects include Slingshot Studios’ comedy hit The Infidel written by David Baddiel and starring Omid Djalili; Fernando Meirelles’ City of Men (released by Miramax); Cleanskin, starring Sean Bean and Charlotte Rampling (Warner Bros released in the UK and Entertainment One have multiple territories including US); horror comedy Grabbers directed by Jon Wright (Sony released in the UK following its Sundance premiere); office comedy Welcome to the Jungle with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Adam Brody; and shooting soon are Miss You Already, Viking epic Northmen – A Viking Saga and Twist, a 3D Parkour action movie and re-imagining of Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist in partnership with Red Bull Media House. With combined experience on 70+ feature films over the last ten years, the Salt principals have raised in excess of $150 million in production financing (excluding pre-sales).
About Two Oceans Production (Pty)Ltd. (South African Co-Producer)
Two Oceans Productions was established in 1998 by Giselher Venzke and Bertha Spieker. TOP is a Cape Town based film production company that specializes in the European film and Television industry offering co—production financing and facilitation. Having completed over 60 Television and Feature films TOP has become a leading company in the South African film Industry.
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