Mads Mikkelsen has joined the voice cast of the animated feature “North,” which is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” The film is being sold in Cannes by Studio 100 Film, and will be screened on May 13 in the Marché du Film.
The film centers on Gerda, who sets off into the great unknown in search of her friend Kai, who has mysteriously vanished. On her journey, Gerda makes friends with people, birds, beasts, and a kind witch, unaware that a hostile, unseen enemy – the Snow Queen and her devil apprentice, Louie – is watching her. The evil queen keeps Kai prisoner in her ice palace way up north in Finnmark, Norway.
Mikkelsen will lend his voice to the character of Severin, the father of Kai. Severin is a figure who “embodies wisdom, sorrow and the timeless magic of storytelling,” according to a statement. As a carpenter, he builds his son a beautiful sled for Christmas and grieves when the sled and the boy vanish.
Norwegian composer Rolf Løvland (“Secret Garden,” “You Raise Me Up”) contributed the original song “Finding You,” performed by Norwegian pop singer Maria Arredondo. “This lyrical ballad reflects the themes of longing and connection that lie at the heart of the film’s journey,” the statement added.
Raymond Enoksen, one of Scandinavia’s leading film and television composers, with over 200 productions to his name, has created the full orchestral score as well as the original track “True North,” which “anchors the film’s sonic identity and amplifies its dramatic narrative.”
“North” is directed by fantasy author Bente Lohne, and is produced by Håkon Gundersen (“Flight of the Navigator,” “Free Jimmy”) and his company PictoryLand, in collaboration with Anima Vitae. Ralph Guggenheim (“Toy Story”), co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, serves as consulting producer.
