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

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 Kr?yer”).

“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”).

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