Swedish film and music-video director Jonas Åkerlund will helm the English-language film, which is produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free London, RSA London and VICE. Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales, and will launch the pic to buyers in Cannes.
According to the website, the film will follow the story of the seventeen year old Euronymous, determined to escape his bourgeois education by forming, together with a small group of friends, an extreme metal musical project, Mayhem. To give visibility to the band - says the magazine - the group will begin to commit a series of shocking acts, escalating in a spiral of violence, arsons and murders that will shake the nation.
So Variety describes the plot: “Pic, which is co-produced by Chimney and Eleven Arts, is the terrifying story based on real events about a dream-turned-nightmare for a group of teenagers who spiral out of control.
The pic follows 17-year-old Euronymous, who is determined to escape his traditional upbringing in 1980s Oslo. He becomes fixated on creating true “Norwegian Black Metal” music with his band Mayhem, and creates a phenomenon by using shocking stunts to put the band’s name on the map. But as the lines between publicity and reality start to blur, acts of arson, violence and a vicious murder shock the nation.”
Here is how Variety presents the director of the movie Jonas Åkerlund: “Akerlund is best known for his music video work with music stars such as Beyoncé, Madonna, Lady Gaga and U2. He has won three Grammy Awards, including ones for Paul McCartney’s “Live Kisses” and “Madonna: The Confessions Tour Live From London.” His feature film work includes “Spun,” “Horsemen” and “Small Apartments.”” Apart from the spelling mistake, what Variety fails to say is that Jonas Åkerlund was the drummer of Bathory from 1983 to 1984.
The two main protagonists will be Rory Culkin (already seen in Scream 4 and Signs, and known for being the brother of Macaulay Culkin) acting as Euromymous, and Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class) acting as Varg Vikernes. The role of Varg had previously been assigned to Jackson Rathbone, who was forced to drop.
Lords of Chaos will shoot later this year in Norway.
A film to be boycotted!
Text by Herjann
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DO YOU THINK THEY LOOK ALIKE?
Rory Culkin in the role of Euronymous