Norway's rising star Jakob Oftebro (pictured - Kon-Tiki, Max Manus) has snatched one of the two main roles in the Danish epic drama 1864 to be brought to television and cinemas by director Ole Bornedal. The budget is DKK 173 million.

Several actors from DR's hit series Borgen (Søren Malling, Pilou Asbæk, Sidse Babett Knudsen) have  joined the production.  

Based on Tom Buk-Swienty's best-selling novel Slagtebænk Dybbøl, the project is written by Bornedal himself who has worked intensely over the last three years on the 400-page script. The epic war movie and love story spreads across different periods and places in Europe. First set in 19th century Denmark, it focuses on two brothers: Laust (Jakob Oftebro) and Peter (Danish newcomer Jens Frederik Sætter-Lassen) in love with the same woman Inge (Marie Tourell Søderberg) while war is on the verge of breaking out as political forces scheme to annex Schleswig into Denmark. The two brothers volunteer to fight the Prussian army. 

The second part of the story is set in contemporary Denmark. The focus is on the young woman Claudia (Sara Sofie Boussnina from The Killing III) who has lost her brother in the Afghan War and is forced to accept a job as an aide for a 100 year-old Baron. At the Manor, she discovers Inge's diary and her triangle love story with Peter and Laust as well as the horrors of the battle of Dybbøl Mill in 1864. 

Just like the Oscar nominated A Royal Affair, 1864 will be shot in the Czech Republic from April 8 until July 18, then in Denmark (Fyn and Copenhagen) from August 12 until October 7. The project that received an exceptional DKK 100 million fund from DR (as part of the Danish government's wish to back a historical drama series) is produced by Miso Film's Jonas Allen and Peter Bose. Besides DR, coproduction companies attached include Sirena Film (Czech Republic), Bornedal's 4 Fiction, Film Fyn, TV2 Norge, TV4, SF Film, Arte, and ZDF Enterprises that will also handle German and French sales. SF International is responsible for the rest of the world.

"We are very excited to be attached to 1864. With the combination of director Ole Bornedal, the terrific cast and the powerful story we are confident it will achieve the same global success as A Royal Affair," said Ann-Kristin Westerberg, Svensk Filmindustri's COO Rights and International Sales.

The 8 part TV series will premiere on DR1 in the fall 2014 and SF will release the feature film version in Danish cinemas early 2015.