It was in the 2023 Advent calendar that viewers first got to follow how the young Crown Prince Carl Vilhelm Gyllencrona (Xavier Canca Englund) was accused of kidnapping his mother, Queen Lovisa. He was forced to flee the castle and met the poor girl Hilda – who helped to clear his name.
Now that the children are back in a family adventure, the prince's tyrannical grandmother suddenly returns, and wants to force him to become angrier and more warlike. Kerstin Linden, who plays Hilda, sees clear parallels to real-life tyrants.
It's quite a lot like nowadays with the USA and Russia. Unfortunately.
Warlike Tyrant
Already when the Advent calendar was finished, Tord Danielsson missed the calendar's world. In the film script, he has refined the story, where the warlike grandmother wants to invade neighboring countries to protect the kingdom. The saga's black-and-white form makes it easier to tell younger people about the struggle between good and evil, thinks Danielsson.
In a saga, a tyrant can say straight out "there will be no peace without war". Amalia, the crown prince's grandmother, doesn't think she's evil, but she says it because she thinks she's right.
Once again, Hilda comes to the crown prince's rescue. This time, she has both her grandmother with her, played by Maria Lundqvist, and her tough sister. The actors are delighted.
It's very strong female roles and three of them are 60 plus. It's not something you see all too often. The characters are very deep and it's a fine story behind, how everyone works together, says Xavier Canca Englund.
Watch Together
"The Crown Prince and the Tyrant's Return" is one of the few Swedish films that premieres in the spring, and Tord Danielsson is worried about how the film will fare in Sweden. To save money, the team filmed with a simpler camera.
We must accept in Swedish film that we compete on a global market with unfair conditions. We don't have the same budget, or the same marketing opportunities. Then maybe we need to start questioning established principles.
He himself wants to convey joy and adventure to the whole family – without sacrificing the darkness. He is passionate about family films and wants to put his finger on why cinema is important.
Because it's wonderful to do things together. If the younger audience can look up to their adult and see that they're also watching, it's worth a lot. Watching adults with a mobile in their hand is not as fun.
"The Crown Prince and the Tyrant's Return" premieres on February 7.
The Advent calendar "The Crown Prince Who Disappeared" was awarded the Kristallen for the year's children's program 2023, and was then the most watched calendar to date.
The roles feature Xavier Canca Englund as the crown prince, Kerstin Linden as Hilda, and Maria Lundqvist as Nanni. Suzanne Reuter plays the tyrant.
Direction and script: Tord Danielsson.
