Christoffer Boe’s thriller produced by Zentropa has just made history as the highest grossing Danish film on national screens with DKK72.5m from 730,384 admissions.

The fourth instalment in the Department Q series adapted from Jussi Adler-Olsen’s crime novel has just passed the other film in the series, The Absent One (2014), second biggest earner ever. The other two Department Q films A Conspiracy of Faith (2016) and The Keeper of Los Causes (2012) are number 4 and 5 of the top grossing Danish films list, with the Zentropa comedy Klown at number 3.

The Purity of Vengeance is also number 11 on the list of top grossing films in Denmark, after The Hobbit-An Unexpected Journey (DKK74.4m, 2013), Star Wars-The Force Awakens (DKK81.9m, 2015) and Skyfall (DKK86.7m, 2012). The film starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares was written by B hr. Hansen, Mikkel Nørgaard and Nikolaj Arcel.

Zentropa producer Louise Vesth, associated to the five top grossing Danish films said: “We wanted to end the Department Q franchise on the top, and it’s fantastic that the film has been so well received by its audience, and has now secured a spot in the history of Danish cinema until this record will be beaten sometime in the future. The film will continue to run in cinemas well into 2019, so we’re not even done yet. We’re lucky to have talented scriptwriters, directors, and actors able to reach this level".

Thanks to the record admissions of Christoffer Boe’s film, as well as other local audience-pullers such as Ole Bornedal’s The Way to Mandalay (409,269 admissions) and Bille August’s A Fortunate Man (389,462), the downward trend for Danish films has now been reversed and the month of October was 40% up compared to the same period in 2017, with nearly 1.6 million tickets sold, of which 57.7% went to Danish films according to Kim Pedersen, Head of the Danish Cinema Association Danske Biografer.

Top 10 grossing Danish films to date (source Nordisk Film/DFI)

1. The Purity of Vengeance (2018): DKK 72.5 M

2. The Absent One (2014): DKK 68.1M

3. Klown (2010): DKK 64.9 M

4. A Conspiracy of Faith (2016): DKK 64.3 M

5. The Keepers of Lost Causes(2012): DKK 59.01 M

6. This Life (2012): DKK 57.2 M

7. The Reunion 2 – The Funeral (2014): DKK 50.1 M

8. The Reunion 3 (2016): DKK 47.6 M

9. The Hunt (2013): DKK 46.68 M

10. Klown Forever (2015): DKK 46.63 M.