Director Thordur Palsson has wrapped principal photography in Iceland on “The Damned,” starring Odessa Young.
Newly revealed cast for the psychological horror film includes Joe Cole (“Gangs of London”), Siobhan Finneran (“Happy Valley”), Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”), Turlough Convery (“Killing Eve”), Lewis Gribben (“Somewhere Boy”), Francis Magee (“The Tourist”), Mícheál Óg Lane (“The Guard”) and Andrean Sigurgeirsson (“A Song Called Hate”).
The script was written by Jamie Hannigan and is based on a story by Palsson (“The Valhalla Murders”). “The Damned” tells the story of Eva, a 19th-century widow who faces a difficult decision when a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing post in the middle of an especially cruel winter. Eva and her crew must decide whether to rescue the shipwrecked or survive the winter with their last remaining food. As they face the consequences of their decision and are tormented by guilt, the inhabitants begin to believe they are being punished for their choices.
Protagonist Pictures, who arranged financing for the film, is handling worldwide sales, with co-representation of U.S. rights with CAA Media Finance. The company will be sharing exclusive footage with buyers at Cannes.
“The Damned” is produced by Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl for Elation Pictures, John Keville and Conor Barry for Wild Atlantic Pictures and Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, and Nate Kamiya for Ley Line Entertainment. Co-producers include Iceland’s Join Motion Pictures and Belgium’s Wrong Men. The film has received support from Screen Ireland, Wallimage, and the U.K. Global Screen Fund financed by the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport and administered by the BFI.
Protagonist Pictures executive produced the picture with chief commercial officer George Hamilton and chief operations officer James Pugh serving as executive producers alongside Luane Gauer.
“The Icelandic landscape is a part of the haunted soul of this film and shooting in the depths of winter in the West Fjords provided physical and creative challenges, and each of those challenges could not have been overcome without the support of our fantastic partners,” said the producers of “The Damned.” “We are so excited to get this film into the world.”
Hamilton praised Palsson’s vision for the film, saying: “His vision for the film put chills up our spines from the start, and we can’t wait for audiences to see how he and his fiercely talented cast brought this elevated and smart take on the genre to life.”
Young is represented by CAA, Echo Lake Entertainment and attorney Jim Gilio at Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Cole is represented by B Side Management, WME, and Tapestry. Palsson is represented by CAA and Kelly Knatchbull at Sayle Screen in the UK, while Hannigan is represented by Casarotto Ramsay and Associates.
