Index conducted an interview with Canadian producer Robert Lantos about the ten-part series presenting the life of János Hunyadi and his triumph in Nándorfehérvár, in which he also told when viewers can expect the domestic premiere.
The producer said that a decade ago, a series filmed in Hungarian would not have had a chance to become a global success, but with the introduction of streaming services, this situation has changed.
– This production is groundbreaking. Its task is to open doors worldwide for Hungarian stories and the Hungarian film industry. This small country has an incredibly interesting and important history. What happened in Hungary affects the whole of Europe, the whole world. Not only Hunyadi's story, but also many other things. We Hungarians know this, maybe some neighboring countries know this, but the world does not. I think we are opening this gate now. Once the gate is open, others can come too - declared the Hungarian-born filmmaker.
Lantos said that Hungarian art films are already well-known and have a good reputation in the world, but if this series lives up to the expectations attached to it, then the other genres, the entire Hungarian film industry, can rise to a new level.
Regarding the production, he said that the sets of the film were built in Fót , and they plan not to destroy them after the shooting, but to use them for cultural and touristic purposes. The production promises to be extremely spectacular, because they do not skimp on the most modern computer tricks.
When selecting the actors, they tried to ensure that each role was played by the actors of the given nation. Frigyes Habsburg is played by Austrian actor Laurence Rupp, and the sultan is played by Turkish artist Murathan Muslu. The Pope is played by the Italian Giancarlo Giannini, while the Serbian despot Barankovics is played by the Serbian actor Rade Serbedzija.
The castings lasted a year, their most difficult task was choosing the actor who played Hunyadi, because they could not find an artist in Hungary fully suitable for the task. They also looked for Hungarian actors across the border, and after Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia, they found Kádár L. Gellért in Transylvania, who they believe has the ancient strength and combativeness that makes his portrayal authentic.
If the works go well, the first public screenings may take place in December 2024.
The series will be broadcast here on TV2, while abroad it will definitely be broadcast in Austria and Slovenia. As soon as the first parts are ready, they will be shown to big buyers in America, England, Asia and Europe. Robert Lantos also revealed that it is possible that the professional premiere will take place at events such as the MIPCOM festival in Cannes or the Toronto International Film Festival .
Photo source: Katalin Novák's Facebook page
