Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst, the bold Austrian bearded diva who won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, will make her acting debut in a twisted vampire mystery, “The Blood Countess,” starring opposite Isabelle Huppert.
Magnify handles global and U.S. sales rights (excluding Austria, Ex-Yugoslavia, Germany, and Luxembourg) on the hot title and has unveiled a striking first-look image (pictured) from the film ahead of the Cannes film market where Austin Kennedy, head of global sales, and Phoebe Liebling, manager of global sales, will be pursuing deals.
Directed by renowned German New Wave filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger, “The Blood Countess” draws inspiration from the life and legend of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman which is played by Huppert. The screenplay was penned by Ottinger and Elfriede Jelinek, the Nobel Prize in Literature winner and acclaimed author of “The Piano Teacher.” The film is currently in post-production.
The cast is completed by Birgit Minichmayr (“Daughters”), Lars Eidinger (“Dying,” “Personal Shopper”), Thomas Schubert (“Afire”) and André Jung (“The Forger”).
Huppert plays the Countess Elizabeth Báthory (aka ‘The Blood Countess’), as she awakens from her long beauty sleep and emerges from the underworld. “She and her devoted maid (Birgit Minichmayr) embark on a baroque quest through Vienna to recover the red elixir of life. The book, if found and read by the vampire’s enemies, threatens their vampire realm. Hot on their heels are a vegetarian nephew (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector, and more lively characters in this twisted and humorous vampire tale,” the synopsis reads.
Producers are Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu (“Ingeborg Bachmann” – Journey into the desert”) of Amour Fou Vienna, Bady Minck (“Hinterland”) of Amour Fou Luxembourg, and Bettina Brokemper of Heimatfilm (exec producer on “The Devil’s Bath”).
The key crew is lead by cinematographer Martin Gschlacht who notably worked on “The Devil’s Bath” which won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale last year; costume designer Jorge Jara (“Freak Orlando”) and production designer Christina Schaffer (“The Girl With a Pearl Earring”).
Ottinger, whose best known films include “Madame X – An Absolute Ruler,” “Ticket of No Return” and “Freak Orlando,” said “This is the right time for the Blood Countess to wake up from her deep sleep and savor the present” because “The world is upside down and events are repeating themselves in an eerie way.”
Magnify’s slate also includes Gastón Solnicki’s “The Souffleur” starring Willem Dafoe; “Filipiñana,” a first-time feature by Rafael Manuel (with Film4); Berlin Generation winner “The
Botanist” directed by newcomer Jing Yi.
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