Pilou Asbæk

Source: Christian Stæhr/Bankside

Pilou Asbæk

Danish actor Pilou Asbæk, star of Game Of Thrones, Aquaman and Borgen, has joined the cast of Ugla Hauksdóttir’s feature debut, Icelandic thriller The Fires, as Bankside locks in pre-sales in key territories.

Ingvar Sigurdsson and Borys Szyc also join the previously announced cast of Vigdís Hrefna Pálsdóttir, Guðmundur Ólafsson, Þór Tulinius, Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir and Jörundur Ragnarsson.

Sales have landed in Germany (Wild Bunch), Eastern Europe (HBO), Former Yugoslavia (MCF), Middle East (Front Row) and Switzerland (Praesens).

The Fires is about a volcanologist, responsible for predicting the volcanic activity and ensuring public safety, who finds herself caught between a love affair that may destroy her family and an eruption that threatens the capital city.

It will shoot on location in Iceland this summer.

Hauksdottir describes Pilou’s character as “free-spirited, charismatic photographer, Thomas. Pilou is an actor I’ve admired for a long time and someone I believe will bring depth and dimension to the role.”

Hauksdóttir is the first Icelandic female director to become a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and her TV credits include the Amazon Studios series The Power. She is directing two episodes of the upcoming Alien series with Noah Hawley, based on the film by Ridley Scott.

The Fires will be produced by Grímar Jónsson (Northern Comfort, Rams) and Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska (Housekeeping For Beginners, The Silent Twins). Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green will serve as executive producers for Bankside Films. The production is supported by the Icelandic Film Centre and Icelandic Reimbursement Scheme for Film and TV and the Polish Film Institute.

 Anonymous Content is co-representing North American rights with Bankside.