Mads Mikkelsen is set to star in a spy thriller titled The Black Kaiser for Netflix.
The film will be an extension of the streamer’s Polar universe, which began with the 2019 film of the same name, an adaptation of Victor Santos‘ 2013 graphic novel Polar: Came From The Cold. That film also starred Mikkelsen, but it’s currently unclear how the two projects are connected.
The Black Kaiser will adapt the graphic novel of the same name that unites the first arc of Santos’ Polar series. The film’s title refers to the world’s greatest assassin, who uncovers a deadly conspiracy protecting a syndicate of killers and becomes the number one target for several killers. The story is set before the events of Polar: Came From The Cold.
The Black Kaiser will also see the return of director Jonas Åkerlund and writer Jayson Rothwell, who is co-writing the film alongside Mikkelsen. Producers Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer are also returning. Bolt said in a statement:
“We are very excited to be working with the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen and the visionary Jonas Akerlund on what will be an explosive, action-packed, funny, unexpected, and little insane and emotional journey.”
Despite Polar’s negative reviews and very small cultural footprint, Netflix obviously sees Santos’ universe as a potentially profitable franchise, and are willing to give it another shot. Perhaps they see the series as their own version of John Wick, and we’ve seen how huge that has grown. Even a hint of that sort of success gets studios/streamers/networks salivating.
Mikkelsen was recently seen in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore and is scheduled to appear in Indiana Jones 5 in 2023.
#Peace.Love.TheBlackKaiser
