Lars von Trier is finally bringing the story of “The Kingdom” to a close with a third and final season for his cult ’90s series.
Titled “The Kingdom Exodus,” the Zentropa-produced final installment will begin shooting next year, TrustNordisk told TheWrap Thursday. The season will consist of five episodes, around 60 minutes apiece, and is expected to premiere in 2022.
The cast for the final season of the Danish series has yet to be announced, but TrustNordisk says “it will be a mixture of well-known characters from earlier seasons as well as new characters.”
Here’s the official description for “The Kingdom Exodus,” which von Trier is writing with Niels Vørsel: “What exactly will transpire in the final showdown between good and evil is still a well-kept secret, but one thing is for sure: The old feud between the Swedes and the Danes at the hospital is still fiery, and the constitution of the Kingdom is fragile. A curse still lies on the old hospital. What seemed fictitious in THE KINGDOM I and II may not be so unreal after all. So be prepared to take the good with the bad in the third and final season of THE KINGDOM titled THE KINGDOM EXODUS.”
“Borders come in many forms; they may be lines drawn with rulers on white paper (often invisible to whoever chances to visit the actual geographical locations),” von Trier said in a statement Thursday. “The lines of the borders may be illustrative, if not to say quite fictitious and downright mean; they may be drawn in a soft, red color, practically invisible, and perhaps even as a dotted line, almost as if indicating an apology or even – shame. Nevertheless, the lines hang there in inconceivable numbers, and together they constitute those ‘territories’ that the inhabitants are strong enough to defend. Entering and leaving often entail violence, for, of course, any visitor is expected to return after ending his or her business.”
He continued: “On Earth, ‘the Machine that makes everything go round (all life, that is)’ is dependent on the conflicts which the lines provoke, as if by design. Whether Exodus actually means ‘entering’ or ‘leaving’ depends on the angle from which the border is observed, but the word simply describes a large number of individuals crossing a pencil-drawn line together. Why?….. There is an imbalance between good and evil! The limit has been reached, at least at the Kingdom…. But I cannot testify that it will be easy and bloodless to pick the seven astral locks of the world simultaneously with doctor’s blood.”
“The Kingdom Exodus” is a collaboration between Viaplay, DR and Zentropa with financial support from Film i Väst and Nordisk Film & TV Fond, among others.
“The Kingdom’s” first two seasons were produced for DR in 1994 and 1997. According to TrustNordisk, “In connection with the production of ‘The Kingdom Exodus’ there has been a thorough restoration of ‘The Kingdom’ I and II so that all seasons can be released as a whole in the highest quality for both new and old fans.”
Watch the announcement videos released for the third and final season of “The Kingdom” above and below.
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