"Rise of the Raven"
Following its MIPCOM Cannes premiere and strong ratings in Hungary, Beta Film’s "Rise of the Raven" continues its European rollout. The 15th-century historical drama has been picked up by multiple broadcasters across the continent. For the last episode, TV2 will dedicate a whole day of programming to "Rise of the Raven", repeating the nine previously broadcast episodes ahead of the series finale. The epic drama was invited to celebrate its World Premiere in the world-famous Grand Auditorium in the Palais des Festivals in attendance of cast and crew last October in Cannes during MIPCOM, the biggest international TV market.
The title is produced by Robert Lantos and his Serendipity Point Films, as well as Twin Media, HG Media, MR Film, and Beta Film, co-produced by Hungary’s TV2 Network, and Austrian public broadcaster ORF, supported by the National Film Institute of Hungary. Showrunner is Balázs Lengyel ("Golden Life", HBO), who also directs the final episode. The series is written by Lengyel, George Mihalka, Balázs Lovas, Zsófia Ruttkay, Attila Veres, and Bán Mór, on whose best-selling series of novels "Rise of the Raven" is based.
Europe, the 15th century. János Hunyadi’s life is plagued by scandal, political power plays, and conspiracies between noble families from Italy, Poland, Austria, Serbia, and Hungary. His strongest allies are the women in his life: Elizabeth, the wife who not only stands by him but fights alongside him, and Mara, his first love, who breaks his heart by becoming lead concubine in Sultan Murad’s court. When the Ottoman Empire mobilizes an army of unprecedented size to march west with the objective of conquering the Vatican and Europe, Hunyadi leads his small but mighty group of soldiers to the battlefield, sealing a hard-fought victory. In celebration, Pope Callixtus III orders that churches all over the world shall ring their bells every day at noon. And more than five centuries later, church bells still ring each day.
Producers are Tibor Krsko, Cecilia Hazai, Kinga Hazai, Ari Lantos, Oliver Auspitz, and Andreas Kamm of MR Film, as well as Koby Gal-Raday. Directors are Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Robert Dornhelm ("Maria Theresa", "War and Peace") alongside Hungarian directors Orsi Nagypal ("The Deal", "The CW’s The Outpost") and Attila Szasz ("Tall Tales", "Eternal Winter").
Hunyadi is played by the debuting Gellért L. Kádár, with Hungarian Vivien Rujder portraying Elizabeth, his influential and strong partner. The large European cast includes Franciska Törőcsik ("129"), Murathan Muslu ("Breaking Point"), Cornelius Obonya ("Maria Theresa"), Laurence Rupp ("Barbarians"), Giancarlo Giannini ("Casino Royale", "Hannibal"), Elena Rusconi ("6 Underground"), Francesco Acquaroli ("Fargo"), Karel Roden ("Bourne Supremacy"), Thomas Trabacchi ("Studio Battaglia"), and Rade Serbedzija ("Batman Begins", "Mission: Impossible 2").