Denmark has picked its 2024 Oscar contender, selecting period epic The Promised Land as its official Academy Award entry in the best international feature category.

The drama, which premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival this year, stars Mads Mikkelsen as driven man determined to cultivate the wild Danish heath, the last area of untamed wilderness in 18th-century Denmark.

The reteams Mikkelsen with director Nikolaj Arcel, whose last Danish feature, A Royal Affair, picked up a best international feature nomination in 2013 (and introduced the world to Alicia Vikander).

Magnolia Pictures, which also released A Royal Affair, has U.S. rights to The Promised Land and is planning a domestic theatrical release for the film on Feb. 2, 2024.

The film’s debut was greeted with acclaim, with critics describing it as a gripping historical epic, which shows that period pieces can be vigorous, powerful and emotionally stirring.

Mikkelsen also received raves for his magnetic stoicism, imposing physicality and soulful introspection in the Scandinavian Western.

The Promised Land co-stars Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg and Kristine Kujath Thorp. TrustNordisk is handling international sales.

The deadline for submissions for the 2024 best international feature Oscar is October 2.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the films on the 2024 Oscar shortlist on December 21.

The five nominees will be announced January 23.

The 95th Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 10.