PRAGUE – Czech tough-guy thesp Karel Roden will play mad Nazi scientist Viktor in Frankenstein’s Army, a Gothic WWII fantasy shooting near Karlovy Vary.
The Czech shoot, portraying Viktor’s efforts to turn around German fortunes by animating super soldiers from the body parts of the fallen, is Richard Raaphorst’s helming debut.
Roden, known for roles in 2001’s 15 Minutes, 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy, and as the gritty voice in vidgame hit Grand Theft Auto IV, is a “marvelously thrilling addition to our cast,” said Greg Newman, executive veep of MPI Media Group. MPI/Dark Sky Films is lead producer, along with Los Angeles-based XYZ Films, and Pellicola of Amsterdam. Prague’s Sirena Film is local co-producer.
Pic also features Alexander Mercury (The Golden Compass), Joshua Sasse (The Big I Am), Luke Newberry (The Heart of Me), Andrei Zayats (X-Men: First Class) and Hon Ping Tang (The Fifth Element).
Raaphorst is known for the Worst Case Scenario viral Internet shorts. Chicago-based MPI, which produces features, documentaries and skeins, owns MPI Home Entertainment, Dark Sky Films, and the WPA Film Library. L.A.-based XYZ, founded by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer and Aram Tertzakian, is producing Motor City, to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
Pellicola is an Amsterdam-based film and TV production company.