EXCLUSIVE: Ascot Elite Entertainment, which previously enjoyed success with Northmen – A Viking Saga, has announced a new Viking project, provisionally entitled Seven for Valhalla.
The project reunites the Swiss production group with writing duo Bastian Zach and Matthias Bauer, who co-wrote Northmen – A Viking Saga.
Their screenplay is set to take inspiration from Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic action picture Seven Samurai, about seven samurai who muster their forces to defend their village from bandits.
The project comes a decade after Ascot Elite successfully made its first foray into production with the 2014 hit Northmen – A Viking Saga, directed by Claudio Fäh and starring Tom Hopper, Ed Skrein, James Norton and Johan Hegg.
In between times, writing partners Zach and Bauer have enjoyed success with their screenplay for the ARD/ORF crime series Death In The Prater, which achieved record viewing figures, and were also instrumental in shaping the concept for the third season of the ARD hit series Charité.
On the literary front, their historical mystery thriller trilogy ‘Morbus Dei’, published by Random House, has been translated into multiple languages.
“We absolutely love high, historical adventure. With Ascot Elite and Northmen, we had one of the best writing experiences of our lives. So, we are absolutely thrilled to set sails with Ascot again,” said the co-writers.
“Like the samurai in Kurosawa’s timeless classic, our Viking heroes will go on a wild ride, against all odds. Multi-layered characters, epic action, and a visual stunning medieval landscape – Seven For Valhalla will be a real blast.
Ralph S. Dietrich, Producer of Ascot Elite Entertainment, expressed his pleasure at the fresh collaboration with the writers.
“The world always needs a good Viking movie and working with such a talented pair of writers is truly rewarding. Their expertise in historical narratives and their ability to develop compelling stories and characters make them ideal partners to createanother visually stunning project with Seven for Valhalla.”
Other upcoming projects on the Ascot Elite Entertainment slate include the international action picture, Acolyte, written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad and produced with Rob Paris and Mike Whiterill at Rivulet Films.
The company is also currently in production on theatrical sports doc and mini-series Downhill Skiers, and in collaboration with Blue Bird Motion Picture, Red Bull Media and Amazon.
The post Ascot Elite Reunite With ‘Northmen’ Writing Duo Zack & Bauer On Viking-Themed, Kurosawa-Inspired Movie ‘Seven For Valhalla’ appeared first on Deadline.
