Rook Films confirms Protagonist Pictures for international sales.

Borgen star Sidse Babett Knudsen will make her English-language feature film debut as the lead in Peter Strickland’s The Duke of Burgundy.

Andy Starke of Rook Films produces Strickland’s new film, which co-stars Chiara D’Anna (who also appeared in Strickland’s Berberian Sound Studio.)

The Duke of Burgundy will shoot on location from mid-September in Hungary. Film4 and the BFI co-developed and co-financed. Protagonist Pictures handles international sales.

The dark melodrama is about an amateur moth collector.

The film was co-developed and co- financed by Film4 and the BFI. International sales will be handled by Protagonist Pictures.

Rook co-owner Ben Wheatley will executive produce alongside Anna Higgs of Film4, Lizzie Francke from the BFI and Ildikó Kemény of Hungarian production company Pioneer.

Knudsen’s Danish film credits include The One And Only and After The Wedding. She is represented by Sam Fox at Troika.