The Stellan Skarsgård-led crime thriller “In Order of Disappearance,” from Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland, initially premiered to critical acclaim at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival. Our own Jessica Kiang praised it (and was later pull-quoted in the film’s U.S. trailer), touting the film as “a kind of Norwegian mash-up of ‘Fargo,’ ‘Taken,’ and ‘Seven Psychopaths,’ [that] soon ramps up to a dark, mordantly hilarious blast.” Now, nearly five years later – after Lionsgate and their in-house distributor Summit Entertainment seemingly detected untapped potential for domestic audiences – an English-language remake of the film, retitled “Cold Pursuit,” is slated for early February.
With much relief, it’s important to note that Hans Petter Moland has returned to direct the remake, with new-coming screenwriter Frank Baldwin adapting Kim Fupz Aakeson’s original screenplay. Additionally, instead of Stellan Skarsgård, “Cold Pursuit” will star Liam Neeson as Nels: a passionate snowplow driver who, after learning of the apparent murder of his son, embarks on a gruesomely violent hunt for revenge.
When speaking to Under the Radar in 2014 about ‘Disappearance,’ Moland describes the genre ambiguity and cultural implications that initially inspired the project: “One of the ambitions of the film was not to be restrained by genre limitations. It’s really a mix of a lot of genres. It has elements of satire, it has high comedy, some slapstick, and occasionally it has thriller and action elements. On top of that, it is a send-up occasionally. But it’s not just a send-up of the genre; it’s also a send-up of contemporary Norwegian and Swedish politics, of the silliness of brutal men. This film is populated by guys who aren’t really great at self-insight.” Considering this, I suppose we can only hope that Moland taps into similar levels of creative integrity with “Cold Pursuit.”
Alongside Liam Neeson, the film’s notable cast includes Emmy Rossum, Laura Dern, Tom Bateman, and William Forsythe. “Cold Pursuit” will hit theaters on February 8, 2019.