Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Clara Rugaard, Til Schweiger Lead WWII Thriller ‘Desperate Journey,’ Written by ‘Il Postino’ Director Michael Radford (EXCLUSIVE)

Alex Ritman

Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (“1899, “Borgen”), Clara Rugaard (“Verona,” “I Am Mother”) and Til Schweiger (“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Inglourious Basterds”) lead the international cast of “Desperate Journey,” a newly-announced thriller set in the burlesque world of 1940s Paris.

The film — which has now wrapped production — comes from Emblem Pictures, and was written by two-time Oscar nominee Michael Radford (best known for directing 1994 global sensation “Il Postino”) and directed by Emmy winner Annabel Jankel (“Tell It to the Bees”).

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Produced by Warren Derosa and Zsófia Kende, “Desperate Journey” is based on the true story of Freddie Knoller (played by Tønnesen), a young man forced to flee Vienna as Nazi hysteria takes hold. Knoller’s captivating story has been widely recognized around the world and he was honored by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Rounding out the supporting cast of the film are Sienna Guillory (“Meg 2: The Trench,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog”), Steven Berkoff (“Octopussy,” A Clockwork Orange”), Fernando Guallar (“Love Divided”), Hugo Speer (“The Full Monty”), George Sear (“Love Victor”), Barney Harris (“The Wheel of Time”), Niamh Cusack (“Macbeth,” “In the Land of Saints and Sinners”), Ed Stoppard (“The Pianist,” “Golda”) Nathaniel Parker (“The Last Duel”) and Louis Ashbourne Serkis (“The Kid Who Would Be King,” “Allelujah”).

“It was a tremendous journey of personal growth for me, working with the extraordinarily talented and creative cast and crew in Budapest,” Jankel said. “Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen excited us daily with his performance as he grew into and fully embodied the unique character that was Freddie Knoller.”

Added producer Derosa: “Freddie faced extreme situations and emerged with an understanding of life that could benefit us all. He was an exceptional man, and I am deeply grateful to the large crew and cast who worked tirelessly to portray this remarkable story.”

“Desperate Journey” is the first of three planned productions from Emblem Pictures.

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