Top 150 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2019: #30. Radegund – Terrence Malick

Radegund

Leave it to Terrence Malick to leave us interminably wondering when and where his next completed film will surface, and his latest, the German co-pro Radegund has been no exception. While many thought it would surface at Cannes or Venice in 2018, Malick’s WWII drama was nowhere to be found. Besides showcasing a notable Euro list of male actors such as August Diehl (fresh off playing Karl Marx for Raoul Peck), Swiss icon Bruno Ganz, Germany’s Franz Rogowski, Jurgen Prochnow and Alexander Fehling, Belgium star Matthias Schoenaerts, and it is an opportunity to see Swedish Michael Nyqvist in one of his final film roles prior to his death in June of 2017. This is also Malick’s first narrative feature not to be lensed by Emmanuel Lubezki since 1998’s The Thin Red Line (DP Jorg Widmer marks his first stint with Malick for Radegund). Obviously, Malick’s pedigree is well-renowned, having won Best Director at Cannes for Days of Heaven (1978) and the Palme d’Or in 2011 for The Tree of Life. Malick also took home the Golden Bear for his 1998 comeback The Thin Red Line, and also competed there in 2015 with Knight of Cups. Venice has taken both To the Wonder (2012) and Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey (2016) into competition. Grant Hill, Malick’s long term production partner, is amongst a list of producers including Dario Bergesio, Marcus Loges, Josh Jeter and Elizabeth Bentley.

Gist: Malick’s script revisits the life and murder of conscientious objector Franz Jaggerstatter (Diehl), who openly refused to serve the Third Reich.

Release Date/Prediction: Malick has been confirmed to be in post-production as of last Summer, hence all the suppositions about a Toronto or Venice 2018 premiere (he’s already forged ahead on a new VR project with Jonny Greenwood). Perhaps due to its German backers, Malick might compete for the third time in Berlin. If not, we’d assumed Cannes 2019 for his first return to the main competition since winning the Palme.