Arrow films acquires Rights to "Lords of Chaos", set for Early 2019 U.S. Release
Last month, the rights to Jonas Åkerlund's 2018 black metal-themed film "Lords of Chaos" were acquired by British independent film distributor Arrow Films, who recently announced that the movie is now set for a first-quarter 2019 release in the USA.
The film centers around the notorious shenanigans of Norwegian band Mayhem's formation and early days, including the gathering of Scandinavia's second-wave black metal scene, the subsequent epidemic of church burnings, and the eventual murder of guitarist Euronymous, who will be played by none other than Rory Culkin, younger brother of the Home Alone franchise's Macaulay Culkin. "Lords of Chaos" which was directed by Jonas Åkerlund - who has a close personal relationship with the film's narrative, having served as the original drummer for Sweden's Bathory - also stars Emory Cohen as the fun-loving Varg Vikernes, and was received with universal acclaim at its Sundance Premiere, as well as at Fantastic Film Fest this summer and this the London Film Festival earlier this week.
Any avid fan of "trve kvlt" black metal will already be familiar with the eerie, violent tale of Euronymous, Varg, and Dead, but according to critics, Åkerlund's film brings the story to life with incredible aesthetic panache and an intensive focus on the interplay between its many characters. According to Variety, "the Swedish
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director has made a pitch-perfect black metal dramedy about real-life head-bangers who lost their minds.” Unfortunately, due to the derision of Vikernes, surviving members of Mayhem, and other real-life individuals personally involved in the events of the story, the "Lords of Chaos" does not contain much of the actual music that was created within the scene it elucidates - instead it chooses to focus on story, character development, and the foreboding atmosphere of the grim and frostbitten nature of the film's narrative.
If you're as excited as I am about the big-screen adaptation of this stranger-than-fiction tale, be sure to stay tuned to Åkerlund's website for upcoming announcements, including the scope of the film's release and its as of yet unrevealed opening date.
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Posted October 16th, 2018