The following is a translation of a press release kindly provided to us by Eurolex Consulting.
Rise of the Raven (Hunyadi), created with the support of Beta Film and the National Film Institute (NFI), has reached another milestone with the release of the first part of its upcoming series, which was presented to the biggest content producers and buyers in the film, television and streaming industry in Cannes, France on 22 October. MIPCOM is a defining event for the entertainment industry, and this is the first time that the most ambitious Hungarian television production to date has been presented to the professional public in depth.
The Munich-based Beta Film, one of the major players in the industry, has mobilized considerable resources to promote the international series Rise of the Raven. Koby Gal Raday, who has been co-producing the project from the start for Beta Film, said after the premiere:
‘We are delighted and grateful to have successfully held the world premiere of Hunyadi yesterday at MIPCOM. It was an incredible experience to watch the opening episode of this special series with our talented cast and crew in the iconic Grand Auditorium in front of a packed house. It was the perfect stage to bring the power and magic of Rise of the Raven to audiences around the world.’
Executive producer of the series Robert Lantos said at the screening, ‘The theme is the greatest untold story in world history. Since the 15th century bells have been chiming at noon in honour of the victory of Hunyadi and his soldiers at Nándorfehérvár. Their ringing sound is heard by all around, but the story is almost unknown in the world. We have created this series to change that.’ The executive producer was joined on the steps of the Festival Palace by the Hungarian and international producers of the series, including Tibor Krskó, executive producers Dr Kinga Hazai and Cecília Hazai, as well as Oliver Auspitz, Andreas Kamm, and Ari Lantos.
The world premiere was attended by Gellért L Kádár, who plays János Hunyadi, Vivien Rujder, who plays Hunyadi’s wife Elisabeth, and Franciska Törőcsik, who brings Hunyadi’s first love, Mara Brankovics, to life. Other performers on the red carpet included Mariann Hermányi, Ernő Fekete, Elena Rusconi, and Thomas Trabacchi. All four directors of the series were present: alongside Robert Dornhelm, who produced the first episode, Orsi Nagypál, Attila Szász, and showrunner Balázs Lengyel met with the international professional community. They summed up their experience at Cannes as such: ‘This is a particularly important moment for us, because it is through these professionals that this Hungarian story can reach the most distant TV screens in the world.’
For the world premiere of Hunyadi, Vivien Rujder was dressed by Daalarna. Franciska Törőcsik also chose her dress from the Daalarna collection, and her jewelry was provided by Swarovski. Stylist Bea Merkovits recommended the Zhoja evening gown for Mariann Hermányi, complemented by Yana jewelry. Gellért L Kádár and Ernő Fekete were styled by Miklós Schiffer, who chose their outfits from the Hugo Boss collection of Roland Divatház.
The production, which will be aired on the Hungarian commercial channel TV2 in 2025, is based on the best-selling novel cycle by Mór Bán titled Hunyadi. One of the production’s special features is that the actors bring the characters to life in their own language, thus immersing the audience even more in the context of the events that shaped the history of the Kingdom of Hungary and the whole of Europe.
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