The news was presented at a press conference organized by the Danish film company Zentropa in Cannes on Wednesday.
Arcel has written the script for the film together with Anders Thomas Jensen. It is based on the Danish bestseller “Kaptenen och Ann Barbara” by Ida Jessen. The book depicts the German captain Ludwig von Kahlen and his meeting on a barren Jutland heath with the enigmatic Ann Barbara. The book has been described as a settler story of revenge, discipline and love.
The film is being shot in Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic, starting in September. “A royal affair”, with Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander in the lead roles, came in 2012.