The director of the 2011 movie Drive is reportedly bringing his next project to Netflix. Nicolas Winding Refn has been long teasing a brand new project called Copenhagen Cowboy and it looks like we should be getting more information imminently.
As first reported by ThePlaylist.net (the live link doesn’t work so we’ve included an Archive.org link in the meantime) the project was seemingly outed by a PETA complaint about the project.
PETA released a complaint back in early December 2021 that notes that the upcoming Danish series would be heading to Netflix. The reason they talk about the project is because the animal rights group alleges that the production killed a pig on set.
They sent an open letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings asking for the scene to be cut.
In the press release, they state “Killing a sentient being and exploiting that death for the sake of entertainment is unacceptable and may be illegal,” adding “No animal should suffer or die for human entertainment, and PETA is calling on Netflix to leave on the cutting room floor any footage that might glorify this pig’s needless, senseless slaughter.”
The project has been teased by Nicolas Winding Refn for quite some time but very little has been known.
An Instagram page teasing the upcoming project began posting back in September 2021. Two posts containing pigs have been posted including one posted a few days before the PETA complaint.
cphcwby – Picture: Instagram
In addition, ProductionWeekly is now reported the project has begun filming in Copenhagen and is attached to Netflix.
Nicolas Winding Refn is helming the new series with his daughter LizzieLou Winding Refn seemingly set to star.
Nicolas Winding Refn is perhaps best known for his directing of Hollywood movies including two Ryan Gosling entries including the beloved 2011 movie Drive and Only God Forgives. Other movies in the director’s library include The Neon Demon, Pusher, Bronson, and Valhalla Rising.
Nicolas last publicly posted about Copenhagen Cowboy on December 28th.
Dear Friends 🤠 pic.twitter.com/rUY27pLI2h
— Nicolas Winding Refn (@NicolasWR) December 28, 2021
As ThePlaylist notes, Refn is considered to be a controversial filmmaker “who likes to push buttons and sometimes seems a little bit tone-deaf about current cultural shifts.” In 2011, The Guardian posted an interview where the director said “Film-making is a fetish”.
Listed as producers on the project is Danish film producer Lene Børglum who has teamed with Nicolas Winding Refn on numerous projects including Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon.
Space Rocket Nation serves as the production company behind the series project who were established in 2008 by Børglum and Refn. They state they aim “to produce highly artistic and edgy feature films for an international audience”.
Magnus Nordenhof Jønck is attached as director of photography on the new series. He’s known for projects such as Bridgend, Nordvest, and Key House Mirror.
We’ll be anxiously awaiting more news about Copenhagen Cowboy in the coming weeks and months.