Two of the greatest talents in filmmaking and acting are coming together for the first time. Mads Mikkelsen has officially joined the ensemble of Martin Scorsese's upcoming features "What Happens At Night". The "Another Round" and "Hannibal" actor joins an already stellar lineup led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Harris, and Patricia Clarkson .
Scorsese is directing from a screenplay by Patrick Marber, who adapted it from Peter Cameron’s 2020 novel of the same name. The film has been described as a psychological horror mystery in the vein of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" (itself based on a novel by Stephen King) and David Lynch's surreal television series "Twin Peaks".
The story, in a nutshell, revolves around an American couple who journey to a remote, snowbound European village to adopt a child. There they encounter an imposing, nearly deserted hotel where they encounter a host of eccentric and unsettling figures — among them a female singer, a morally dubious tycoon, and a magnetic spiritual healer. As tensions mount, reality begins to blur, and the couple’s sense of identity and relationship is tested in unsettling ways. Mikkelsen is reportedly playing the spiritual healer Brother Emmanuel.
The project has the backing of Apple Studios and Studiocanal, along with Scorsese's banner Sikelia Productions. The project marks the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, whose previous work together includes "Gangs of New York", "The Aviator", "The Departed", "Shutter Island", "The Wolf of Wall Street", and "Killers of the Flower Moon".
Aside from "What Happens At Night", Scorsese is also attached to direct Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a mobster based on a real-life in the Hawaiian underworld. The former WWE veteran-turned-actor recently confirmed his involvement in the film which also has Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt attached. Scorsese is expected to get into it once he wraps up "What Happens At Night".
The project comes from the mind of British author and journalist Nick Bilton, who has directed the documentary Fake Famous. Bilton's subject is centred on the activity of the Hawaiian underworld in the 1960s and 70s. It would mark a return to familiar territory for the legendary filmmaker behind "Mean Streets", "Goodfellas", "Casino", "Gangs of New York", "The Departed" and "The Irishman".
