In Hollywood, Mads Mikkelsen is seen as the face of evil. From Hannibal Lecter to Le Chiffre, he has played more bad guys than good guys in popular culture. However, he just needs to turn their attention to another side of his filmography to know just how talented he can be in the moral good.
He has been in several notable works in the Danish film industry. Most famously, he was a part of Thomas Vinterberg’s film, Another Round. The film is so beloved that it is now getting an English adaptation, directed by Chris Rock.
While the film is certainly very iconic, there is another Mikkelsen-Vinterberg that should get a remake. However, the timing might make it distasteful.
Mads Mikkelsen’s The Hunt needs a Hollywood remake
Mads Mikkelsen has played many guilty men in his career. From trying to destroy the earth to engaging in cannibalism, murder, and organized crime, it is safe to say that a majority of his characters have done things a lot worse than what they have been accused of.
However, in a rare instance, he once played a character completely opposing his collective filmography. In 2012, Mikkelsen starred in The Hunt, a project about false accusations and the fallout that can come with them. It follows the story of a kindergarten teacher who gets falsely accused of s*xual assault of a child, resulting in his entire town alienating and condemning him.
Considering the excellence of the Danish story, there is no denying that it deserves a bigger audience and rightful recognition. While a different Thomas Vinterberg classic is currently being remade for the Hollywood screen, Mikkelsen’s darker film would be just as suited for the same.
However, there is one very big reason why a remake of the project in current times could be catastrophic.
The Hollywood scene is not ready for The Hunt yet
Hollywood is on a hunt of its own right now. Considering the number of accusations that some of the most powerful people in the industry are currently facing right now, the public has been on the lookout for narratives that go against the commonly held ones.
From Diddy to Drake, this is certainly not looking good for people accused of hurting children in some way or another. With this in mind, releasing a film about false accusations of the same could not be received well by Hollywood’s particularly critical audience.
In an interview with Movies, Mads Mikkelsen was asked about something similar, being questioned about whether The Hunt is trying to put forth a bigger message about false accusations. Candidly speaking, the actor did not believe this to be the intention of Thomas Vinterberg in the slightest.
This is not a case, this is inspired by several cases, but it is not one case. It is inspired by injustice but at the end of the day Thomas [Vinterberg] makes it into a different story. As I said, we were definitely not making a film here to speak out for the men wrongly accused, if that happened and we triggered debate that’s fine, but this is not what our film is about.
While the intention behind the film seems very evident for both Mikkelsen and Vinterberg from the start, this might get lost in translation. Perhaps audiences may have differing opinions about the project in the future and may be interested in watching just the film, looking away from a message the movie wasn’t trying to put forth.
The Hunt is available for streaming on Mubi.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
