Kyle MacLachlan Cast as Franklin D. Roosevelt in War Drama ‘Atlantic Crossing’

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Twin Peaks” star Kyle MacLachlan has signed on to play U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in “Atlantic Crossing,” the Norwegian-produced World War II drama series.

MacLachlan will star opposite Swedish actress Sofia Helin (“The Bridge”) in the eight-part show, which is being produced by Cinenord for Norwegian pubcaster NRK and brought to the international market by Beta Film.

The Norwegian- and English-language series is based on the true story of Norwegian Crown Princess Martha, who fled the Nazis and lived in the White House, becoming an influential figure in world politics. Her relationship with Roosevelt will be central to the show, which is set the U.S., Britain and Norway. Other characters in the series will include Eleanor Roosevelt, Martha’s lady-in-waiting Ragni, her mother Ingeborg, and the child princesses Ragnhild and Astrid.

Alexander Eik created the series and wrote the script with Linda May Kallestein. Alexander and Silje Hopland Eik’s film and TV shingle Cinenord Drama is producing the series, which is benefiting from the Norwegian Film Institute’s incentive program. The show is aiming to be one of the biggest productions in Scandinavian history.

Production gets underway in December in the Czech Republic, before moving to Norway in February. “Babylon Berlin” distribution outfit is now pre-selling the drama.