Mads Mikkelsen appeared in two Danish movies in 2020 and wouldn’t you know it, but both of them are getting English-language remakes. THR has reported that Lionsgate is developing a Riders of Justice remake that will be produced by Shawn Levy (Free Guy).
Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, Riders of Justice followed “a recently-deployed soldier who returns home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed in a tragic train accident. But when a team of statistics experts claim foul play, the soldier embarks on a revenge-fueled mission, along with this eclectic group, to find those responsible.” The film received rave reviews from critics, who praised its violent content and dark comedy. Anders Thomas Jensen and Nikolaj Arcel co-wrote the original film and are returning to pen the script for the Riders of Justice remake as well.
“There are few films that balance the action, emotion, and dark humor that Anders did so successfully in Riders of Justice,” said Erin Westerman, Lionsgate’s president of production. “We’re confident that the movie will translate perfectly to English-language audiences as well.” It’s relatively rare that an English-language adaptation of a foreign movie is able to replicate what made the first film so special, but hey, I’ll keep an open mind for the Riders of Justice remake. You can check out a review of Riders of Justice from our own Chris Bumbray right here.
I mentioned earlier that this wasn’t the only remake of a Mads Mikkelsen film in the works. It was reported this April that Leonardo DiCaprio is producing a remake of the Oscar-winning movie Another Round with an eye to star in it as well. The film followed four high school teachers as they consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.