Michael Caine to co-star in historical Czech film

American actor Ben Foster is set to play Zizka in the English-language movie that is being directed by Czech filmmaker Petr Jakl, who also produces with Cassian Elwes, according to a Deadline report.

Caine will play a trusted advisor to Czech King Wenceslaus IV.

Production will begin in the coming weeks in and around Prague.

The film is being funded from a variety of sources in both the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe, and earlier this year was awarded the equivalent of around €60,000 in financial support from the Prague Film Fund.

Prague is a popular European filming location. The city offers architecture that can double for various European cities and producers have access to well-equipped studio facilities and generous filming incentive support.

Prague Studios has six sound stages and has recently hosted the UK TV drama Britannia, as well as action movie Underworld: Blood Wars, while Barrandov Studio offers 13 stages and a back lot. Taika Waititi’s satirical Second World War movie Jojo Rabbit has also been a recent visitor to the city, using it as a stand-in for Berlin.

Historical dramas are currently in fashion. Recent examples have included History Channel’s 14th-century-set Knightfall, which also filmed extensively in the Czech Republic, and The Last Kingdom that was shot in Hungary.

Game of Thrones, the series that showed how lucrative the genre could be – albeit wrapped in fantasy elements – recently finished filming its final season after eight years based in Northern Ireland.

See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in the Czech Republic.

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