‘The Promised Land’ Exclusive Clip: Mads Mikkelsen Takes On A Greedy Nobleman In Nikolaj Arcel’s Period Drama

Good things happen when Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Arcel team up. Back in 2012, the actor and filmmaker collaborated on “A Royal Affair.” The film would go on to be nominated for an Oscar, as well as win the Silver Bear. Now, more than a decade later, they are working together on a new film, “The Promised Land,” which has also earned awards consideration and acclaim. 

READ MORE: ‘The Promised Land’ Review: Mads Mikkelsen Grows Potatoes & Feelings Against All Odds in Handsome Danish Historical Drama

With “The Promised Land” arriving in theaters this week, we’re happy to give our readers an exclusive look at a clip from the period drama. The film tells the story of Captain Ludvig Kahlen, a man living in 18th century Denmark, as he makes it his mission to begin farming crops on a vast, uninhabitable land. Unfortunately for him, the land is under the rule of Frederik De Schinkel, a merciless nobleman who is worried about Kahlen beginning to undermine his power. In the clip, you can see the two men come together, and you understand why they are butting heads. 

Joining Mikkelsen in the cast are Amanda Collin, Gustav Lindh, and Melina Hagberg. The film is directed by Arcel, who co-wrote the feature with Anders Thomas Jensen. 

In our review of the film, we said, “We are never sure whether Kahlen will follow his heart or plan, making for a gripping story unfolding most satisfyingly. The film’s very topical feminist and even anti-landlord themes do not feel shoehorned in but are simply part of an unassuming yet rich landscape.”

“The Promised Land” arrives in theaters on February 2. You can watch the exclusive clip below.

Here’s the synopsis:

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) – a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero — sets out to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow. He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and intense as these two men.