The Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is known for playing serious, intense characters in movies like Casino Royale, Doctor Strange, and the TV show Hannibal. But his new movie, The Last Viking, shows a completely different side of him. The film is a dark comedy where Mikkelsen plays a mentally unstable man who thinks he is John Lennon from The Beatles. The movie came out on May 29, 2026, in select theaters and on digital platforms.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Mikkelsen talked about why he keeps working with Danish director Anders Thomas Jensen and actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas. This is their sixth movie together. Mikkelsen explained that Jensen wraps big topics like life, death, good, and evil in what he calls a “universe of insane humor.”
The Last Viking Brings Danish Trio Back Together for a Wild Story
The Last Viking follows Anker (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), a man who gets out of prison after 15 years. He needs help from his younger brother Manfred (Mads Mikkelsen) to find money from a bank robbery they did years ago. The problem is that Manfred has a mental condition. He cannot remember where he hid the money. On top of that, Manfred now believes he is John Lennon. He refuses to answer to his real name and collapses on the floor if anyone calls him Manfred.
The movie balances very funny moments with deeply sad ones. Mikkelsen said that the key was finding the heart of the story. He and his co-stars made sure to include small, quiet moments between the brothers. These moments show that Manfred loves his brother and just wants him to stay.
“Yes, we will make it funny, I’m sure it’s going to be funny, but let’s figure out what the heart of the film is,” Mikkelsen said about working with Jensen.
Mikkelsen described his character as “impossible to live with.” He does not blame his brother for wanting to leave after getting out of prison. “As cute as my character is, he is impossible to live with. It is insane to live with this character!” Mikkelsen told ScreenRant.
Why Mikkelsen Keeps Coming Back to Jensen’s Strange World
Mikkelsen, Kaas, and Jensen have been friends for nearly three decades. Their first movie together came out 27 years ago. Mikkelsen said that the friendship draws him back, but there is more to it than that. He called Jensen a unique filmmaker who has something beautiful to say about life.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas, who plays the older brother, told the Boston Herald that the three of them live very close to each other in Copenhagen. Kaas lives just two houses away from Mikkelsen. He said their real-life friendship helps their work on screen.
Kaas also explained that Jensen feels very comfortable using the same actors again and again. “He knows that we would never have gone this far if it wasnt for him,” Kaas said. He believes there is room for a seventh collaboration in the future.
The movie had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. It received strong reviews from critics. In Denmark, the film sold over 500,000 tickets in its first three weeks. The runtime is 116 minutes.
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During the interview, Mikkelsen also talked about other projects. He recently worked with Bryan Fuller again on a movie called Dust Bunny. Fuller is the creator of the TV show Hannibal, where Mikkelsen played the famous killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
Fans have wanted a fourth season of Hannibal for many years. The show was canceled in 2015 after three seasons. Mikkelsen said that everyone involved wants to go back and do it. But he also gave a honest warning about time.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t want to go back and do it, but I also think that time is tick-tocking away. It’s been 10 years now, maybe even more. We stay as young as we can, but all of a sudden, we’re just too old, right?” Mikkelsen said.
He explained that Hannibal works better as a TV show than a movie. Fuller could convince him to make a film, but Mikkelsen believes the story needs 13 or 14 episodes to develop properly. He said a revival would need to happen “one of these years soon.”
When asked what kind of movie he still wants to make, Mikkelsen said he wants to do straight horror. He has done action movies and psychological horror like Hannibal. But he has never done a direct horror film. “Maybe throw in a zombie there, and I will be happy,” he said.
The Last Viking is available now on digital platforms including Prime Video. The movie also stars Sofie Gråbøl, Søren Malling, and Bodil Jørgensen.
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