After landing on cinephile radars with 1998’s “The Celebration,” Thomas Vinterberg went on a weird and wild cinematic journey. From pictures that didn’t or barely got a release stateside, to disappointments like “Dear Wendy” or “It’s All About Love,” Vinterberg failed to match the acclaim of his Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize-winning film. That’s until this year’s “The Hunt,” the gripping tale of community persecution that earned rave reviews, and more Cannes awards (an Ecumenical Jury Prize for Vinterberg, a Best Actor trophy for Mads Mikkelsen). And the helmer isn’t wasting a moment riding that momentum.
Last month production started on his star studded adaptation of Thomas Hardy‘s “Far From The Madding Crowd,” and today Empire brings us the official first images from the movie, and yes, we will buy all the tickets. Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Juno Temple, Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge, the movie tells the tale of Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan) who is courted by three men: Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts), a shepherd; Sergeant Troy (Sturridge), a handsome soldier; and William Boldwood (Sheen), a farm owner. Naturally, there are heartbreaks and feelings and stuff.
No release dates yet, but we’d put good money on this being in competition at Cannes in the spring. Update 5.8.2014: Fox Searchlight announced today the film has been set for a May 1, 2015 release in select theaters.
