The Black Kaiser: Mads Mikkelsen reuniting with Polar director Jonas Akerlund for a hitman thriller

Mads Mikkelsen must have had a blast working with Polar director Jonas Akerlund because the duo is joining forces again for The Black Kaiser, based on the Dark Horse graphic novel Polar by Victor Santos.

Mikkelsen will star in the film with Akerlund at the helm. In addition to his starring role, Mikkelsen will also pen the script alongside Jayson Rothwell. In the story, a hitman thriller, Mikkelsen, will play The Black Kaiser, the world’s most lethal hitman. He uncovers a deadly conspiracy protecting a powerful syndicate of killers and becomes their number one target.

The Black Kaiser will make its way to the Cannes market next week. The project is produced by Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer, with Martin Moszkowicz, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, and Mikkelsen executive producing. XYZ will handle sales at the Cannes festival.

“We are very excited to be working with the brilliant Mads Mikkelsen and the visionary Jonas Akerlund on what will be an explosive, action-packed, funny, unexpected and little insane and emotional journey,” said Bolt in a statement.

Mikkelsen can be found starring in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, currently in theaters. He’s also playing the villain for James Mangold’s Indiana Jones 5, starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Toby Jones, Antonio Banderas, Thomas Kretschmann, Shaunette Renée Wilson, and Boyd Holbrook.

In Polar, Mikkelsen plays Duncan Vizla, a retiring assassin who suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of a hit, contracted by none other than his own employer seeking to cash in on the pensions of aging employees.

Polar: The Black Kaiser is one of several books in Victor Santos’ Polar series of graphic novels. Check out the whole collection in a comic shop near you.