Utzon’s Sydney Opera House drama hitting the silver screen

Australia’s iconic landmark rests on a foundation laid in controversy

The story involving the famous Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s dramatic exit from the establishment of the Sydney Opera House is to be made into a film.

Utzon, who designed the famous Australian landmark, left the project before it was completed and never returned to see his finished masterpiece before he died in 2008.

The film has the working title ‘Utzon: The Man Behind the Opera House’, and the production will be Danish, Swedish and Australian.

Ole Søndberg – the producer of the film adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ and ‘Wallander’ – is involved in the project.

“Utzon was a fantastic Danish architect, and the history about how he created the Opera House in Sydney is fascinating and scary,” Søndberg said. “This story needs to be told.”

READ MORE: The soap opera behind the construction of Australia’s most iconic building

Left in 1966
The film will focus on how Utzon won the right in court to design the Opera House and the opposition he faced during the project.

Denmark’s most famous architect arrived in Sydney in 1957, but left Sydney prematurely in 1966 following a contentious political atmosphere and project budget limitations. The Opera House opened in 1973 and remains one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world.

It is unknown when the filming of the story will begin.




Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system