A new trailer for the upcoming Czech film "Medieval" starring Ben Foster and Michael Caine has been released. It is based on a true story of Jan Žižka (Foster), a Czech mercenary from the late 14th century. The leader of the Holy Roman Empire is dead, and the Czech and Hungarian kings are fighting each other for the throne. The noble Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger) uses the chaos to begin taking over the land of lesser nobles and Žižka is hired by Lord Boresh (Michael Caine) to kidnap Rosenberg's fiancée Katherine (Sophie Lowe) to stop his ascent. She is the niece of the King of France and could turn the tide of the war.
inspired by the true story of Jan Žižka, one of the greatest warriors in history. After the death of their reigning emperor, the Holy Roman Empire descends into chaos as feuding brothers King Wenceslaus of the Czech Republic and King Sigismund of Hungary battle for control of the empty throne. Lord Boresh (Michael Caine) hires the audacious and virtuous mercenary leader Jan Zizka (Ben Foster) to kidnap the powerful Lord Rosenberg's (Til Schweiger) fiancée, Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe), to prevent Rosenberg from rising to power along with the powerful Lord Rosenberg (Til Schweiger). corrupt King Sigismund. .
Jan believes that kings are the right hand of God and must be respected and obeyed, no matter what. As Katherine gets caught up in a dangerous political game between the monarchs, Jan falls in love with her strong spirit and dedication to saving the people. In a valiant attempt to free her from her, he strikes back with a rogue army to fight the rampant corruption, greed, and betrayal among those struggling for power. Jan now realizes that the fate of the Empire will be decided by his love for Lady Katherine and that his fate is not in the hands of the Kings, but in the hands of his own people.
Medieval takes place during a time of chaos in the Holy Roman Empire, when Kings Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (Roden) and Sigismund of Hungary (Goode) vie for the throne. Žižka, a young mercenary during the events of the film, is hired by Lord Boresh (Caine) to kidnap Lady Katherine (Lowe), Lord Rosenberg's (Til Schweiger) fiancée, to prevent her and Sigismund's promotion.
Jan Žižka is one of the most prominent figures in Czech history: the imposing equestrian statue of him dominates Prague from the top of Vítkov Hill (and he recently appeared in The Gray Man, replacing Baku). The nearby Prague neighborhood of Žižkov is named after him.
Most famous as the Hussite military leader during the Hussite Wars, Žižka legendaryly defended Prague from some ten thousand invading Crusaders with a force of 80 soldiers on top of Vítkov Hill. Despite being completely blind at the end of his military career, Žižka is said to have never lost a battle leading Hussite forces against the invaders during three separate crusades.
Medieval, on the other hand, takes place before Žižka's military career. Despite the presence of real-life historical figures (apart from the characters played by Caine and Lowe), the film's narrative appears to be entirely fictional and only "inspired by true events".
Those interested in something closer to the real story of Žižka should check out the 1950s Hussite revolutionary trilogy by Otakar Vávra, Jan Hus, Jan Žižka, and Against All, each starring Zdeněk Štěpánek as Žižka. At the time of production, those films were considered to be the most expensive Czech films ever made.