Denmark's two most internationally recognised actors, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Iben Hjejle, have signed up to star in Jesper W. Nielsen's drama The Bouncer (Loeftet), which starts shooting in Copenhagen Jan13.

Writer-director Nielsen collaborated with Anker Li on the script, which is inspired by a true story and follows Svend (Waldau) who fights to save his ageing parents' marriage though it has made his life almost unbearable. The Bouncer also stars Swedish and Danish veterans Per Oscarsson and Rita Angela as well as the popular Danish comedian Lars Hjortshoj.

Waldau had his breakthrough in Ole Bornedal's Nattevagten (Nightwatch) in 1994 and has since starred in a number of English-language films including Misery Harbour (1999), Enigma (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001) and 24 Hours In The Life Of A Woman (2002).

Iben Hjejle turned heads in Soren Kragh-Jacobsen's Mifune (1999), which led to several English-language parts including High Fidelity (2000), The Emperor's New Clothes (2001) and Dreaming Of Julia (2001) as well as Danish films like Flickering Lights (2000) and Old Men In New Cars (2002).

The Bouncer is produced by Nielsen's longtime collaborator Peter Bech for Angel Productions with Mogens Glad and Poul Erik Lindeborg acting as executive producers. The DKR11,8m film has backing from the Danish and Swedish film institutes, broadcaster TV2/Denmark and is co-produced with Sweden's Illusion Film. It will be distributed domestically by Angel Films. The Bouncer wraps on Feb 21, 2003.