Das Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin gibt weitere prominente Gäste, Projekte und die Pitch-Session im Detail bekannt. Dach-Prime-Video-Chef Christoph Schneider macht einen Fireside Chat, US-Produzentin Mel Eslyn kommt. Projekte wie „German Cocaine Cowboy“ und „Schwarze Schafe“ rücken in den Fokus.
Christoph Schneider (l.) und Mel Eslyn kommen zu Seriesly Berlin
Das Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin hat weitere Programm-Highlights für den 16. bis 18. September bekannt gegeben. Beim Branchenteil des Festivals, der Seriesly Conference in der Fotografiska Berlin, wird Prime-Video-Chef Christoph Schneider für Deutschland und Österreich in einem Fireside Chat Einblicke in die Content-Strategie des Streamers geben. Zudem stellt Christian Beetz von der beetz brothers film production einen ersten Teaser der vierteiligen Doku-Serie „German Cocaine Cowboy“ für Prime Video vor.
In „German Cocaine Cowboy“ geht es um einen Deutschen, der in den 1990er-Jahren in das berüchtigte Cali-Kartell verwickelt wurde. Beetz wird die Hintergründe des Formats für den Streamer beleuchten. Auch ist jetzt die Emmy-nominierte Produzentin,...
Christoph Schneider (l.) und Mel Eslyn kommen zu Seriesly Berlin
Das Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin hat weitere Programm-Highlights für den 16. bis 18. September bekannt gegeben. Beim Branchenteil des Festivals, der Seriesly Conference in der Fotografiska Berlin, wird Prime-Video-Chef Christoph Schneider für Deutschland und Österreich in einem Fireside Chat Einblicke in die Content-Strategie des Streamers geben. Zudem stellt Christian Beetz von der beetz brothers film production einen ersten Teaser der vierteiligen Doku-Serie „German Cocaine Cowboy“ für Prime Video vor.
In „German Cocaine Cowboy“ geht es um einen Deutschen, der in den 1990er-Jahren in das berüchtigte Cali-Kartell verwickelt wurde. Beetz wird die Hintergründe des Formats für den Streamer beleuchten. Auch ist jetzt die Emmy-nominierte Produzentin,...
- 9/5/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
UK’s Odeon Cinemas Expands Family Offer
In a bid to bolster its draw for families, the UK’s Odeon Cinemas is expanding the scope of its “adults pay kids prices” deal. The scheme will see admits for one adult and one child from as little as £10 for an Odeon Cinema and £15 for an Odeon Luxe throughout 2024. The AMC-owned chain says it’s making the investment into its family offerings as data has shown that affordability and convenience are the biggest concerns for families when considering activities, particularly over the summer holidays. With the opening weekend of Inside Out 2 marking Odeon’s busiest since National Cinema Day last September, turnstiles have been on fire. The UK gross for IO2 through Sunday stands at $40.2M while such titles with family appeal on deck include Despicable Me 4 on July 12 and Harold and the Purple Crayon on August 2. Later in the year,...
In a bid to bolster its draw for families, the UK’s Odeon Cinemas is expanding the scope of its “adults pay kids prices” deal. The scheme will see admits for one adult and one child from as little as £10 for an Odeon Cinema and £15 for an Odeon Luxe throughout 2024. The AMC-owned chain says it’s making the investment into its family offerings as data has shown that affordability and convenience are the biggest concerns for families when considering activities, particularly over the summer holidays. With the opening weekend of Inside Out 2 marking Odeon’s busiest since National Cinema Day last September, turnstiles have been on fire. The UK gross for IO2 through Sunday stands at $40.2M while such titles with family appeal on deck include Despicable Me 4 on July 12 and Harold and the Purple Crayon on August 2. Later in the year,...
- 7/1/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione, Jesse Whittock and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Beim schon traditionellen Pressefrühstück, zu dem Prime Video im Rahmen des Filmfest München einlädt, haben Christoph Schneider, Country Director Prime Video Deutschland, und Philip Pratt, Leiter Deutsche Originals bei Amazon MGM Studios für Prime Video einen Ausblick auf kommende Highlights gegeben. Im Fokus standen vor allem „Perfekt verpasst“ mit dem Dreamteam Anke Engelke und Bastian Pastewka und „Dinner Club“ mit dem Schweizer Starkoch Andreas Caminada.
Dr. Christoph Schneider & Philip Pratt (Credit: privat)
Ins Münchner Literaturhaus lud Prime Video zum schon traditionellen Pressefrühstück im Rahmen des Filmfest München. Christoph Schneider, Country Director Prime Video Deutschland, und Philip Pratt, Leiter Deutsche Originals bei Amazon MGM Studios für Prime Video gaben nicht nur einen Überblick über das vielversprechende Angebot der nächsten Monate, sondern hatten auch Bewegtbild dabei, und zahlreiche Kreative und Stars der präsentierten Produktionen. Dazu zählten Anke Engelke und Bastian Pastewka (sowie Fritzi Haberlandt), die heute Abend Premiere mit „Perfekt verpasst“ auf...
Dr. Christoph Schneider & Philip Pratt (Credit: privat)
Ins Münchner Literaturhaus lud Prime Video zum schon traditionellen Pressefrühstück im Rahmen des Filmfest München. Christoph Schneider, Country Director Prime Video Deutschland, und Philip Pratt, Leiter Deutsche Originals bei Amazon MGM Studios für Prime Video gaben nicht nur einen Überblick über das vielversprechende Angebot der nächsten Monate, sondern hatten auch Bewegtbild dabei, und zahlreiche Kreative und Stars der präsentierten Produktionen. Dazu zählten Anke Engelke und Bastian Pastewka (sowie Fritzi Haberlandt), die heute Abend Premiere mit „Perfekt verpasst“ auf...
- 6/30/2024
- by Barbara Schuster
- Spot - Media & Film
Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria hat eine zweite Staffel der deutsch-österreichischen Netflix-Serie „Crooks“ angekündigt. Spot hat die Zahlen-Hintergründe zur Staffelverlängerung.
V.l.: Bela Bajaria, Frederick Lau und Christoph Krutzler (Credit: Netflix/Stephie Braun)
Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria von Netflix hat gegenüber der Bild am Sonntag bestätigt, dass die deutsch-österreichische Gangsterserie „Crooks“ mit Frederick Lau und Christoph Krutzler von Showrunner Marvin Kren eine zweite Staffel erhält. Nach Spot-Auswertung war „Crooks“ von W&b Television bislang die zweiterfolgreichste deutschsprachige Serie des Jahres beim Streamer.
„Das haben wir gerade entschieden, wir freuen uns sehr auf eine zweite Staffel“, sagte Bajaria zur Fortsetzung von „Crooks“.
Das Format war vor allem in den ersten beiden Wochen international gefragt: Crooks startete in 44 Ländern in den Wochencharts und steigerte sich dann in Woche zwei auf respektvolle 75 Märkte. Dabei waren unter anderem neben dem deutschen und österreichischen Markt auch erste Plätze in den Niederlanden, der Schweiz oder Südafrika fällig.
V.l.: Bela Bajaria, Frederick Lau und Christoph Krutzler (Credit: Netflix/Stephie Braun)
Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria von Netflix hat gegenüber der Bild am Sonntag bestätigt, dass die deutsch-österreichische Gangsterserie „Crooks“ mit Frederick Lau und Christoph Krutzler von Showrunner Marvin Kren eine zweite Staffel erhält. Nach Spot-Auswertung war „Crooks“ von W&b Television bislang die zweiterfolgreichste deutschsprachige Serie des Jahres beim Streamer.
„Das haben wir gerade entschieden, wir freuen uns sehr auf eine zweite Staffel“, sagte Bajaria zur Fortsetzung von „Crooks“.
Das Format war vor allem in den ersten beiden Wochen international gefragt: Crooks startete in 44 Ländern in den Wochencharts und steigerte sich dann in Woche zwei auf respektvolle 75 Märkte. Dabei waren unter anderem neben dem deutschen und österreichischen Markt auch erste Plätze in den Niederlanden, der Schweiz oder Südafrika fällig.
- 6/23/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Die deutsche Prime-Video-Serie „Dinner for Five“ geht der Vorgeschichte des legendären Silvester-Sketch um Miss Sophie und ihrem Butler James auf den Grund. Der Cast quillt über vor Stars.
V.l.: Moritz Bleibtreu, Frederick Lau, Alicia von Rittberg, Jacob Matschenz, Kostja Ullmann und Christoph Schechinger (Credit: Prime Video/Frédéric Batier)
Zum schon etwas zurückliegenden Drehstart der neuen Prime-Video-Serie „Dinner for Five“ (At), welche die Vorgeschichte zum Silvester-Kultsketch „Dinner for One“ erzählt, ist der prominente Cast der Runde bekannt gegeben worden. UFA Fiction produziert, Tommy Wosch ist Showrunner.
Neben Alicia von Rittberg als Miss Sophie und Kostja Ullmann als Butler James sind der aktuell noch in der Prime-Video-Serie „Viktor Bringt’s“ zu sehende Moritz Bleibtreu als Mr. Pommeroy, Frederick Lau als Mr. Winterbottom, Jacob Matschenz als Sir Toby sowie Christoph Schechinger als Admiral von Schneider am Start. Zudem werden weitere prominente Gastauftritte versprochen.
Jetzt heißt es Bühne frei für die bisher unerzählte,...
V.l.: Moritz Bleibtreu, Frederick Lau, Alicia von Rittberg, Jacob Matschenz, Kostja Ullmann und Christoph Schechinger (Credit: Prime Video/Frédéric Batier)
Zum schon etwas zurückliegenden Drehstart der neuen Prime-Video-Serie „Dinner for Five“ (At), welche die Vorgeschichte zum Silvester-Kultsketch „Dinner for One“ erzählt, ist der prominente Cast der Runde bekannt gegeben worden. UFA Fiction produziert, Tommy Wosch ist Showrunner.
Neben Alicia von Rittberg als Miss Sophie und Kostja Ullmann als Butler James sind der aktuell noch in der Prime-Video-Serie „Viktor Bringt’s“ zu sehende Moritz Bleibtreu als Mr. Pommeroy, Frederick Lau als Mr. Winterbottom, Jacob Matschenz als Sir Toby sowie Christoph Schechinger als Admiral von Schneider am Start. Zudem werden weitere prominente Gastauftritte versprochen.
Jetzt heißt es Bühne frei für die bisher unerzählte,...
- 6/17/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Picture Tree Intl. has boarded international sales for Constantin Film’s comedy fantasy blockbuster “Chantal and the Magic Kingdom,” which will receive its market premiere in Cannes.
The film has been No. 1 on Germany’s box office charts for four consecutive weeks since its release on March 28, and reached more than 2 million admissions, with a gross of $22.5 million.
“Chantal” is the latest German-language hit from writer-director Bora Dagtekin and producer Lena Schömann. The duo previously delivered “Turkish for Beginners,” the “Fuck You Goehte” franchise and the German remake of “Perfect Strangers,” which have collectively grossed more than $300 million worldwide.
In “Chantal,” the beloved “Fuck You Goehte” character Chantal and her best friend Zeynep are sent on a fantasy adventure into the world of fairytales with a comedic and contemporary twist.
Chantal, an influencer without followers, and Zeynep stumble into the fairytale world through an ancient magic mirror, which they mistake for a social media gimmick.
The film has been No. 1 on Germany’s box office charts for four consecutive weeks since its release on March 28, and reached more than 2 million admissions, with a gross of $22.5 million.
“Chantal” is the latest German-language hit from writer-director Bora Dagtekin and producer Lena Schömann. The duo previously delivered “Turkish for Beginners,” the “Fuck You Goehte” franchise and the German remake of “Perfect Strangers,” which have collectively grossed more than $300 million worldwide.
In “Chantal,” the beloved “Fuck You Goehte” character Chantal and her best friend Zeynep are sent on a fantasy adventure into the world of fairytales with a comedic and contemporary twist.
Chantal, an influencer without followers, and Zeynep stumble into the fairytale world through an ancient magic mirror, which they mistake for a social media gimmick.
- 4/24/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Testo and The Wave star Frederick Lau leads the cast of Netflix's German thriller, Crooks.
Crooks is a 2024 series that chronicles how a former safecracker returns to a life of crime by teaming up with a kingpin's son to save his family's life from the dangers of his past.
Crooks premiered on Netflix on April 4.
Read full article on The Direct.
Crooks is a 2024 series that chronicles how a former safecracker returns to a life of crime by teaming up with a kingpin's son to save his family's life from the dangers of his past.
Crooks premiered on Netflix on April 4.
Read full article on The Direct.
- 4/8/2024
- by Aeron Mer Eclarinal
- The Direct
List of Titles – What To Watch This Week On Ott (April 1-7) (Photo Credit – IMDb/Youtube)
What to watch this week on Ott? This is a question many of you must be having on your minds. A lot of content is coming in for people who love to sit at home and binge on interesting content. From Ripley to a new episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show to Yeh Meri Family Season 3, the options for selecting your kind of content are pretty fascinating.
We have listed down the upcoming new releases on streaming platforms Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. Take a look.
What to Watch This Week (April 1-7): Netflix Trending Actor Turned Directors Box Office: Aamir Khan & Arbaaz Khan’s Blockbuster Side With 420.83% Profit Vs Ajay Devgn’s Flop Side – Where Will Kunal Kemmu Fall? MonsterVerse Movies Ranked As Per Budget: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire...
What to watch this week on Ott? This is a question many of you must be having on your minds. A lot of content is coming in for people who love to sit at home and binge on interesting content. From Ripley to a new episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show to Yeh Meri Family Season 3, the options for selecting your kind of content are pretty fascinating.
We have listed down the upcoming new releases on streaming platforms Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+. Take a look.
What to Watch This Week (April 1-7): Netflix Trending Actor Turned Directors Box Office: Aamir Khan & Arbaaz Khan’s Blockbuster Side With 420.83% Profit Vs Ajay Devgn’s Flop Side – Where Will Kunal Kemmu Fall? MonsterVerse Movies Ranked As Per Budget: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire...
- 3/31/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
Netflix has furthered its commitment to German production with an expanded slate of local projects.
At a showcase event in Berlin last night (March 13), Netflix announced a number of new titles, including feature Brick, which is currently being filmed and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau.
Brick, about the residents of an apartment seeking a way out when their building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall, is written and directed by Philip Koch and produced through Nocturna Productions and W&b Television.
Netflix’s focus on the German market is notable for coming at a time...
At a showcase event in Berlin last night (March 13), Netflix announced a number of new titles, including feature Brick, which is currently being filmed and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau.
Brick, about the residents of an apartment seeking a way out when their building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall, is written and directed by Philip Koch and produced through Nocturna Productions and W&b Television.
Netflix’s focus on the German market is notable for coming at a time...
- 3/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Confirming Germany’s importance as a growth market, Netfix on Wednesday announced 17 new and returning shows and movies produced by some of the country’s leading producers, including docuseries “Kaulitz & Kaulitz,” about the Tokio Hotel popstar siblings, and sci-fi drama “Cassandra,” about an overzealous electronic household helper.
Netflix presented 17 feature films, series, documentaries and reality shows at a special event in Berlin.
“We have seen again and again how local stories can captivate viewers here and around the world,” said Katja Hofem, Netflix’s VP of content for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We aim to continue this successful journey together with our partners, sharing a common goal of creating exceptional entertainment that moves and inspires people.”
Produced by Constantin Entertainment and premiering in June, “Kaulitz & Kaulitz” accompanies Tokio Hotel frontmen Bill and Tom Kaulitz, twin brothers from Magdeburg, Germany, on tour with their band and in their new home in Hollywood.
Netflix presented 17 feature films, series, documentaries and reality shows at a special event in Berlin.
“We have seen again and again how local stories can captivate viewers here and around the world,” said Katja Hofem, Netflix’s VP of content for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We aim to continue this successful journey together with our partners, sharing a common goal of creating exceptional entertainment that moves and inspires people.”
Produced by Constantin Entertainment and premiering in June, “Kaulitz & Kaulitz” accompanies Tokio Hotel frontmen Bill and Tom Kaulitz, twin brothers from Magdeburg, Germany, on tour with their band and in their new home in Hollywood.
- 3/13/2024
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix Germany unveiled a pair of feature films, including Wiedemann & Berg title Brick, true-crime docs and a reality competition series this evening at a showcase in Berlin.
The sizeable slate announcement, which comes a day before a similar UK event, is notable given that Germany’s TV producers have seen the likes of Sky Deutschland pull out of originals and Paramount+ changing direction in their local production efforts.
Among the new titles is feature Brick (working title), which is currently being filmed and stars the likes of Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau. Slated to launch in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Dach) in 2025, the film follows a couple, Tim and Olivia, whose apartment building suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall. They are forced to work with their neighbors to find a way out.
Philip Koch is the creator and Director of Photography. He produces alongside Quirin Berg,...
The sizeable slate announcement, which comes a day before a similar UK event, is notable given that Germany’s TV producers have seen the likes of Sky Deutschland pull out of originals and Paramount+ changing direction in their local production efforts.
Among the new titles is feature Brick (working title), which is currently being filmed and stars the likes of Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau. Slated to launch in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Dach) in 2025, the film follows a couple, Tim and Olivia, whose apartment building suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall. They are forced to work with their neighbors to find a way out.
Philip Koch is the creator and Director of Photography. He produces alongside Quirin Berg,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Pictures: Netflix – Illustration by What’s on Netflix
It’s time for another slate preview, and today we’ll look through all the upcoming German-language movies and series we know are in development at Netflix for release in 2024 and beyond.
2023 was a big year for new German-language Netflix Originals, with a dozen releases in total. Dear Child was perhaps the biggest, spending six weeks in the global top 10s in total. As a reminder, all the new German titles included:
1899 (Multilingual) Big Mäck: Gangsters and Gold Blood & Gold Cyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld Dear Child Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate Hard Feelings Making All Quiet on the Western Front Paradise Sleeping Dog Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom Too Hot to Handle: Germany Woman of the Dead
This list is everything currently announced and Netflix De (or Netflix Europe) has yet to put out an...
It’s time for another slate preview, and today we’ll look through all the upcoming German-language movies and series we know are in development at Netflix for release in 2024 and beyond.
2023 was a big year for new German-language Netflix Originals, with a dozen releases in total. Dear Child was perhaps the biggest, spending six weeks in the global top 10s in total. As a reminder, all the new German titles included:
1899 (Multilingual) Big Mäck: Gangsters and Gold Blood & Gold Cyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld Dear Child Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate Hard Feelings Making All Quiet on the Western Front Paradise Sleeping Dog Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom Too Hot to Handle: Germany Woman of the Dead
This list is everything currently announced and Netflix De (or Netflix Europe) has yet to put out an...
- 1/2/2024
- by Kasey Moore
- Whats-on-Netflix
Love Again is a romantic comedy film written and directed by James C. Strouse. The rom-com movie is based on a German film titled SMS für Dich, which was based on a 2009 of the same name Sofie Cramer. Love Again follows the story of Mira, a young woman who is still grieving over the loss of her fiance, in order to deal with her grief she still sends romantic texts to her fiance’s number not knowing that the phone number has been reassigned to another man, who becomes more and more interested in her. Love Again stars Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion in the lead roles. So, if you loved the rom-com film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
P.S. I Love You (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars with Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow,...
P.S. I Love You (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars with Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The festival runs June 23 - July 1.
Films by Jessica Hausner, Elegance Bratton and Sebastian Silva are among 36 titles selected for the Filmfest München’s three international competition strands, CineMasters, CineVision and CineRebels. The festival runs June 23-July 1.
CineMasters
Hausner’s Club Zero will be joined by another four Cannes competition titles - Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster - to screen in Munich’s CineMasters competition for the €50,000 Arri Award which is presented to the producers of the best international film.
The 12-title line-up also includes...
Films by Jessica Hausner, Elegance Bratton and Sebastian Silva are among 36 titles selected for the Filmfest München’s three international competition strands, CineMasters, CineVision and CineRebels. The festival runs June 23-July 1.
CineMasters
Hausner’s Club Zero will be joined by another four Cannes competition titles - Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster - to screen in Munich’s CineMasters competition for the €50,000 Arri Award which is presented to the producers of the best international film.
The 12-title line-up also includes...
- 6/13/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: OneGate Media has picked up worldwide distribution rights for German crime series Asbestos from Pantaleon Films.
The five-part series launched on German public network Ard’s streamer Mediathek in January and achieved 3 million views in three days. This makes it the strongest series start on the platform.
It’s the latest acquisition for OneGate, which last year rebranded from Studio Hamburg Enterprises. Already in the catalog are Prime Video series German Crime Story: Deadlock and Lost in Fuseta, a crime drama based on the novel by Grimme Award Winner Holger Karsten Schmidt.
Asbestos comes from director Kida Khodr Ramadan and follows a promising 19-year-old Momo footballer whose dreams are left in tatters when he is sent to prison after being framed by his uncle for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s then faced by the choice of sticking to his principles and staying...
The five-part series launched on German public network Ard’s streamer Mediathek in January and achieved 3 million views in three days. This makes it the strongest series start on the platform.
It’s the latest acquisition for OneGate, which last year rebranded from Studio Hamburg Enterprises. Already in the catalog are Prime Video series German Crime Story: Deadlock and Lost in Fuseta, a crime drama based on the novel by Grimme Award Winner Holger Karsten Schmidt.
Asbestos comes from director Kida Khodr Ramadan and follows a promising 19-year-old Momo footballer whose dreams are left in tatters when he is sent to prison after being framed by his uncle for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s then faced by the choice of sticking to his principles and staying...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
WarnerMedia Germany has confirmed that Ricky Gervais is among the cast of its comedy series Greenlight – German Genius, which is now shooting in Berlin.
The eight-part TV satire stars Kida Khodr Ramadan (4 Blocks) as himself. It recounts a dramatized version of events after Ramadan’s real-life Twitter exchange with Gervais in 2018, in which the British comedian praised Ramadan’s performance in 4 Blocks.
In Greenlight, Ramadan convinces Gervais to give him the rights for a German adaptation of Extras. However, as he attempts to progress the show to production, he comes up against the fact that the Germans aren’t particularly known for their humor, and that there are not many international stars in the country.
Also in the cast are a host of known German actors, musicians, and comedians, including: Detlev Buck, Frederick Lau, Tom Schilling, Veysel Gelin, Olli Schulz, Heike Makatsch, Maria Furtwängler, Sascha Geršak, Katrin Bauerfeind, Britta Hammelstein,...
The eight-part TV satire stars Kida Khodr Ramadan (4 Blocks) as himself. It recounts a dramatized version of events after Ramadan’s real-life Twitter exchange with Gervais in 2018, in which the British comedian praised Ramadan’s performance in 4 Blocks.
In Greenlight, Ramadan convinces Gervais to give him the rights for a German adaptation of Extras. However, as he attempts to progress the show to production, he comes up against the fact that the Germans aren’t particularly known for their humor, and that there are not many international stars in the country.
Also in the cast are a host of known German actors, musicians, and comedians, including: Detlev Buck, Frederick Lau, Tom Schilling, Veysel Gelin, Olli Schulz, Heike Makatsch, Maria Furtwängler, Sascha Geršak, Katrin Bauerfeind, Britta Hammelstein,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Ricky Gervais has boarded “Greenlight – German Genius” a new series from WarnerMedia Germany inspired by one of his tweets from 2019.
The 8-episode series, which has started shooting in Berlin, satirises the German television industry.
Two years ago the “After Life” writer and actor sent a public message via Twitter to German actor Kida Ramadan praising his portrayal of character Toni Hamady in series “4 Blocks.”
“Congratulations,” wrote Gervais. “Another masterpiece.”
In a case of art imitating life, Ramadan and Gervais will now appear as fictional versions of themselves in “Greenlight – German Genius,” in which Ramadan convincing Gervais to let him make a German adaptation of his hit series “Extras” after the comedian sends Ramadan a tweet praising his performance in “4 Blocks.”
However, Ramadan hits a stumbling block when he realizes there aren’t any international celebrities in Germany to cameo in the adaptation all while trying to navigate the...
The 8-episode series, which has started shooting in Berlin, satirises the German television industry.
Two years ago the “After Life” writer and actor sent a public message via Twitter to German actor Kida Ramadan praising his portrayal of character Toni Hamady in series “4 Blocks.”
“Congratulations,” wrote Gervais. “Another masterpiece.”
In a case of art imitating life, Ramadan and Gervais will now appear as fictional versions of themselves in “Greenlight – German Genius,” in which Ramadan convincing Gervais to let him make a German adaptation of his hit series “Extras” after the comedian sends Ramadan a tweet praising his performance in “4 Blocks.”
However, Ramadan hits a stumbling block when he realizes there aren’t any international celebrities in Germany to cameo in the adaptation all while trying to navigate the...
- 11/25/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
German entertainment giant Ufa is continuing its push into feature films with a slew of high-profile projects, including an upcoming Siegfried and Roy biopic and a sequel to the 2014 historical epic “The Physician,” starring Tom Payne (“Prodigal Son”).
The ramp-up follows the huge box office success last year of Oscar winner Caroline Link’s “All About Me,” based on the childhood memoir of German comedian Hape Kerkeling, which became 2019’s second biggest local box-office hit with €31.25 million ($35.34 million) via Warner Bros.
Other upcoming titles include Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated Cold War laffer “A Stasi Comedy,” which Constantin Film is set to release next year. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on a young agent of East Germany’s infamous state security service, played by David Kross (“Balloon”), who is sent to infiltrate East Berlin’s counterculture scene and who, years later, is confronted with the possibility of his...
The ramp-up follows the huge box office success last year of Oscar winner Caroline Link’s “All About Me,” based on the childhood memoir of German comedian Hape Kerkeling, which became 2019’s second biggest local box-office hit with €31.25 million ($35.34 million) via Warner Bros.
Other upcoming titles include Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated Cold War laffer “A Stasi Comedy,” which Constantin Film is set to release next year. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on a young agent of East Germany’s infamous state security service, played by David Kross (“Balloon”), who is sent to infiltrate East Berlin’s counterculture scene and who, years later, is confronted with the possibility of his...
- 6/26/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
German entertainment giant Ufa is continuing its push into feature film with a slew of high-profile projects, including an upcoming Siegfried and Roy biopic and a sequel to the 2014 historical epic “The Physician,” starring Tom Payne (“Prodigal Son”).
The ramp-up follows last year’s huge box-office success of Oscar-winner Caroline Link’s “All About Me,” based on the childhood memoir of German comedian Hape Kerkeling, which became 2019’s second biggest home-grown box-office hit grossing €31.25 million ($35.34 million) via Warner Bros.
Other upcoming titles include Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated Cold War laffer “A Stasi Comedy,” which Constantin Film is set to release next year. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on a young agent of East Germany’s infamous state security service, played by David Kross (“Balloon”), who is sent to infiltrate East Berlin’s counterculture scene and who, years later, is confronted with the possibility of his secret Stasi past coming to light.
The ramp-up follows last year’s huge box-office success of Oscar-winner Caroline Link’s “All About Me,” based on the childhood memoir of German comedian Hape Kerkeling, which became 2019’s second biggest home-grown box-office hit grossing €31.25 million ($35.34 million) via Warner Bros.
Other upcoming titles include Leander Haussmann’s highly anticipated Cold War laffer “A Stasi Comedy,” which Constantin Film is set to release next year. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on a young agent of East Germany’s infamous state security service, played by David Kross (“Balloon”), who is sent to infiltrate East Berlin’s counterculture scene and who, years later, is confronted with the possibility of his secret Stasi past coming to light.
- 6/24/2020
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
Fact-based “The Wolf of Wall Street” won criticism from some quarters for seeming to revel in its protagonist’s sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, while barely chiding him for the predatory, large-scale financial fraud that funded it. Cuneyt Kaya’s new “Rising High” offers a similar disconnect in its fictive tale of bold chicanery in the realm of high-end real estate, treating its heroes’ climb to ill-gotten wealth as a vicarious thrill ride, with scant attention paid to the victims they presumably bankrupt.
This new Netflix offering from Germany is slick and energetic. But even as a mostly less-than-serious (let alone credible) criminal caper, it has a distinctly second-hand feel. We’ve partied with more-or-less these same plucky, covetous nobodies before, watched lookalike scenes of wenching, snorting and bling-flaunting. Their familiarity breeds a certain contempt. This is a competently crafted movie too shallow to come up with much...
This new Netflix offering from Germany is slick and energetic. But even as a mostly less-than-serious (let alone credible) criminal caper, it has a distinctly second-hand feel. We’ve partied with more-or-less these same plucky, covetous nobodies before, watched lookalike scenes of wenching, snorting and bling-flaunting. Their familiarity breeds a certain contempt. This is a competently crafted movie too shallow to come up with much...
- 4/15/2020
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Picture Tree Intl. has secured global sales rights of Berlin comedy “Nightlife,” directed by Simon Verhoeven, following his last film “Welcome to Germany,” which was Germany’s comic relief to the refugee crisis. The film sold to more than 60 territories and screened at more than 50 festivals worldwide, while being the No.1 box office hit in Germany in 2016.
“Nightlife” features German star Elyas M’Barek as bartender Milo who, on a night out in Berlin, meets Sunny, a Berlin native and the woman of his dreams – a fateful encounter as it soon turns out. Their first date starts out very smoothly until Milo’s chaotic friend Renzo, played by Frederick Lau, appears on the scene. Unexpectedly, the romantic evening turns into a wild race through the nightlife of Berlin with the trio fighting for nothing less than their lives and true love.
After blockbusters like “Maennerherzen” (Men in the City) (2009) and “Welcome to Germany...
“Nightlife” features German star Elyas M’Barek as bartender Milo who, on a night out in Berlin, meets Sunny, a Berlin native and the woman of his dreams – a fateful encounter as it soon turns out. Their first date starts out very smoothly until Milo’s chaotic friend Renzo, played by Frederick Lau, appears on the scene. Unexpectedly, the romantic evening turns into a wild race through the nightlife of Berlin with the trio fighting for nothing less than their lives and true love.
After blockbusters like “Maennerherzen” (Men in the City) (2009) and “Welcome to Germany...
- 2/12/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The German director is in Berlin shooting a new comedy toplined by Elyas M’Barek, Palina Rojinski and Frederick Lau. Production began last week in Berlin and the surrounding areas on Nightlife, a new film by Simon Verhoeven. Best known for having directed the box-office hit Men in the City and Welcome to Germany, a comedy about the refugee crisis, which in 2016 managed to attract more than 3.9 million viewers into the dark rooms and became the highest-grossing German-language film of the year, Verhoeven is now readying his sixth feature. Nightlife will follow Millo (Elyas M’Barek), a barkeeper, and Sunny (Palina Rojinski), a real Berliner, as they meet accidentally during a night out and decide to go on a date. Everything seems to be going well, but when Millo’s shambolic friend Renzo (Frederick Lau) joins them, the romantic evening turns into a wild ride through Berlin’s nightlife. Millo and Sunny.
Netflix has wrapped filming on its first German Original film, Concrete Gold, starring David Kross (The Reader), Frederick Lau (Victoria) and Janina Uhse.
The Ufa-produced drama-thriller charts the rise and fall of three corrupt real estate agents who accumulate absurd wealth in no time but fall into a vortex of fraud, greed and drugs.
Cüneyt Kaya (Blockbustaz) wrote and directed the feature which is produced by Ufa Fiction’s Sebastian Werninger and Johannes Kunkel. Also among cast are Peri Baumeister, Detlev Buck, Samuel Finzi, Sophia Thomalla and Johanna Ingelfinger.
Kai Finke, Director of Content Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Netflix, said, “Working with Cüneyt Kaya and Ufa Fiction on Concrete Gold has been a joy. Cüneyt and our great cast have bough boundless energy to this fast-paced film and we thank the team of Ufa Fiction for creating such a high quality movie for Netflix. We are...
The Ufa-produced drama-thriller charts the rise and fall of three corrupt real estate agents who accumulate absurd wealth in no time but fall into a vortex of fraud, greed and drugs.
Cüneyt Kaya (Blockbustaz) wrote and directed the feature which is produced by Ufa Fiction’s Sebastian Werninger and Johannes Kunkel. Also among cast are Peri Baumeister, Detlev Buck, Samuel Finzi, Sophia Thomalla and Johanna Ingelfinger.
Kai Finke, Director of Content Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Netflix, said, “Working with Cüneyt Kaya and Ufa Fiction on Concrete Gold has been a joy. Cüneyt and our great cast have bough boundless energy to this fast-paced film and we thank the team of Ufa Fiction for creating such a high quality movie for Netflix. We are...
- 6/20/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix is making its first foray into German original films, unveiling a slate of three projects that it will produce with local film and TV powerhouses Ufa, X Filme and Zdf.
In the lineup are “Betongold” (“Concrete Gold”), a fast-paced satire about the world of real estate from Ufa Fiction; “Isi & Ossi,” a young-adult romcom from X Filme Creative Pool; and “Freaks,” a drama about a working-class mom with supernatural powers, from Zdf and Lüthje Schneider Hörl Film. The movies are set to start production this spring and will be released globally on Netflix from 2020.
The feature projects follow Netflix’s strong commitment to series in Germany, where it is currently producing a slew of shows, including supernatural hit “Dark” and gritty crime drama “Dogs of Berlin.”
“Concrete Gold,” written and directed by Cüneyt Kaya, follows three young real-estate grifters in Berlin, played by David Kross (“The Keeper”), Frederick Lau (“The Captain”) and Janina Uhse,...
In the lineup are “Betongold” (“Concrete Gold”), a fast-paced satire about the world of real estate from Ufa Fiction; “Isi & Ossi,” a young-adult romcom from X Filme Creative Pool; and “Freaks,” a drama about a working-class mom with supernatural powers, from Zdf and Lüthje Schneider Hörl Film. The movies are set to start production this spring and will be released globally on Netflix from 2020.
The feature projects follow Netflix’s strong commitment to series in Germany, where it is currently producing a slew of shows, including supernatural hit “Dark” and gritty crime drama “Dogs of Berlin.”
“Concrete Gold,” written and directed by Cüneyt Kaya, follows three young real-estate grifters in Berlin, played by David Kross (“The Keeper”), Frederick Lau (“The Captain”) and Janina Uhse,...
- 2/8/2019
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Project is actress-director Karoline Herfurth’s second directorial outing.
Picture Tree International (Pti) has taken on international sales for actress-director Karoline Herfurth’s second directorial outing, the action comedy Sweethearts.
Herfurth also stars as the dithering, anxious Franny, who is taken hostage by single mother Mel (played by former European Shooting Star Hannah Herzsprung) during a diamond robbery. Matters get more complicated when handsome cop Harry (Frederick Lau) appears on the scene and becomes a second hostage.
Pti’s co-managing directors Yuan and Andreas Rothbauer are now scouting for the right distribution partners for Sweethearts and plan to present first footage at Afm,...
Picture Tree International (Pti) has taken on international sales for actress-director Karoline Herfurth’s second directorial outing, the action comedy Sweethearts.
Herfurth also stars as the dithering, anxious Franny, who is taken hostage by single mother Mel (played by former European Shooting Star Hannah Herzsprung) during a diamond robbery. Matters get more complicated when handsome cop Harry (Frederick Lau) appears on the scene and becomes a second hostage.
Pti’s co-managing directors Yuan and Andreas Rothbauer are now scouting for the right distribution partners for Sweethearts and plan to present first footage at Afm,...
- 9/9/2018
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Time to play Streaming Roulette. Each month, to survey new streaming titles we freeze frame the films at random places with the scroll bar and whatever comes up first, that's what we share! (in case you missed it we did Netflix earlier)
What does Amazon Prime offer us for free viewing this month?. Let's survey...
Just because we fucked three times, now you think you own me?
Gutland (2017)
Did Phantom Thread make you curious about Vicky Krieps? Here she is in a noir from her home country of Luxembourg. The guys she's arguing with in this skinny-dipping scene is Frederick Lau, who gave a fine performance in that continuous shot German movie Victoria a few years ago.
ding ding ding. It looks like we have a winner
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 1 (2018)
Jeez, how many actors have played Jack Ryan already? Now it's Mr. Emily Blunt's turn in a new Prime series.
What does Amazon Prime offer us for free viewing this month?. Let's survey...
Just because we fucked three times, now you think you own me?
Gutland (2017)
Did Phantom Thread make you curious about Vicky Krieps? Here she is in a noir from her home country of Luxembourg. The guys she's arguing with in this skinny-dipping scene is Frederick Lau, who gave a fine performance in that continuous shot German movie Victoria a few years ago.
ding ding ding. It looks like we have a winner
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Season 1 (2018)
Jeez, how many actors have played Jack Ryan already? Now it's Mr. Emily Blunt's turn in a new Prime series.
- 9/4/2018
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Milan Peschel (Freytag), Max Hubacher (Willi Herold) and Frederick Lau (Kipinski) in Robert Schwentke's The Captain (Der Hauptmann)
In his Hollywood career Robert Schwentke has directed Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman for Red; Shailene Woodley, Jeff Daniels, Naomi Watts, and Miles Teller in Allegiant; Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges and Mary-Louise Parker for R.I.P.D., and Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard and Sean Bean for Flightplan.
In the final installment of my conversation with The Captain (Der Hauptmann) director/screenwriter Robert Schwentke he speaks about Alexander Fehling (star of Giulio Ricciarelli's Labyrinth Of Lies) and Frederick Lau's reaction to the captain's uniform, cites a line delivered by Max von Sydow in Woody Allen's Hannah And Her Sisters, agrees with Whit Stillman on Stanley Kubrick's expatriate perspective, recalls the reaction to his Family Jewels (Eierdiebe), and states that "every character in The Captain has a reason for what they're doing.
In his Hollywood career Robert Schwentke has directed Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman for Red; Shailene Woodley, Jeff Daniels, Naomi Watts, and Miles Teller in Allegiant; Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges and Mary-Louise Parker for R.I.P.D., and Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard and Sean Bean for Flightplan.
In the final installment of my conversation with The Captain (Der Hauptmann) director/screenwriter Robert Schwentke he speaks about Alexander Fehling (star of Giulio Ricciarelli's Labyrinth Of Lies) and Frederick Lau's reaction to the captain's uniform, cites a line delivered by Max von Sydow in Woody Allen's Hannah And Her Sisters, agrees with Whit Stillman on Stanley Kubrick's expatriate perspective, recalls the reaction to his Family Jewels (Eierdiebe), and states that "every character in The Captain has a reason for what they're doing.
- 8/10/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Chicago – Films about the Nazis and the German military during World War II are numerous… except for the ones with a pure German perspective. “The Captain,” directed by Robert Schwentke (“R.I.P.D.”), is based on a true story about a German army deserter who finds a Captain’s uniform, and decides to ride out the waning days of the war with the power of an officer.
Max Hubacher is Willi Herold, the deserter, and his icy cold performance is one of the highlights of “The Captain.” Herold will stop at nothing to survive against the constant chase on the run from the German army, and once he gets a taste of officer power he is not about to let go. His journey takes him to a prison holding other deserters, and his decisions there are based on getting the assignment done quickly and to his larcenous advantage. When complications arise there,...
Max Hubacher is Willi Herold, the deserter, and his icy cold performance is one of the highlights of “The Captain.” Herold will stop at nothing to survive against the constant chase on the run from the German army, and once he gets a taste of officer power he is not about to let go. His journey takes him to a prison holding other deserters, and his decisions there are based on getting the assignment done quickly and to his larcenous advantage. When complications arise there,...
- 7/27/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Captain (Der Hauptmann) director Robert Schwentke: "There's certain conventions in German cinema." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the first instalment of my conversation with Robert Schwentke at the Quad Cinema, the director of Red, R.I.P.D., and Flightplan talks about his latest film The Captain (Der Hauptmann), shot by Florian Ballhaus and starring Max Hubacher with Alexander Fehling, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Hölscher, Waldemar Kobus, Samuel Finzi, and Wolfram Koch.
Max Hubacher stars as Willi Herold in The Captain
Robert Schwentke also discusses with me the significance of the uniform for Emil Jannings in Fw Murnau's Der Letzte Mann; Heinz Rühmann in Helmut Käutner's Der Hauptmann Von Köpenick, based on Carl Zuckmayer's play; being a "big fan" of Bierkampf director and star Herbert Achternbusch; Heinz Schirk's Die Wannseekonferenz and Theodor Kotulla's Aus einem Deutschen Leben; certain conventions of German cinema, and...
In the first instalment of my conversation with Robert Schwentke at the Quad Cinema, the director of Red, R.I.P.D., and Flightplan talks about his latest film The Captain (Der Hauptmann), shot by Florian Ballhaus and starring Max Hubacher with Alexander Fehling, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Hölscher, Waldemar Kobus, Samuel Finzi, and Wolfram Koch.
Max Hubacher stars as Willi Herold in The Captain
Robert Schwentke also discusses with me the significance of the uniform for Emil Jannings in Fw Murnau's Der Letzte Mann; Heinz Rühmann in Helmut Käutner's Der Hauptmann Von Köpenick, based on Carl Zuckmayer's play; being a "big fan" of Bierkampf director and star Herbert Achternbusch; Heinz Schirk's Die Wannseekonferenz and Theodor Kotulla's Aus einem Deutschen Leben; certain conventions of German cinema, and...
- 7/27/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Captain (Der Hauptmann) Music Box Films Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Robert Schwentke Screenwriter: Robert Schwentke Cast: Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Holscher, Waldemar Kobus Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 7/17/18 Opens: July 27, 2018 Movies about impersonation could be as contemporary and witty as Fred Schepsi’s 1993 “Six Degrees of Separation,” […]
The post The Captain Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Captain Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 7/22/2018
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
"With all the deserters, you never know who's in the uniform." Music Box Films has debuted an official Us trailer for The Captain, a German film from last year about a deserter who discovers new powers when he is mistaken for a captain. After years making big Hollywood blockbusters, filmmaker Robert Schwentke returned to Germany to make this film. It's a play on the Stanford Prison Experiment, where someone with power suddenly takes this power further than thought possible. Set in WWII, the film is about a German army deserter, played by Max Hubacher, who changes his ways when he suddenly has more power. The cast includes Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Hölscher, Waldemar Kobus, Alexander Fehling, Samuel Finzi, and Wolfram Koch. This looks really, really good - I'm surprised we haven't heard more about this film until now. Take a look below. Here's the official Us trailer (+ two posters...
- 6/22/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Captain Trailer Robert Schwentke’s The Captain / Der Hauptmann (2017) movie trailer stars Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau, Bernd Hölscher, and Waldemar Kobus. The Captain‘s plot synopsis: “Based on a disturbing true story, The Captain follows Willi Herold (Max Hubacher), a German army deserter who stumbles across an abandoned Nazi captain’s uniform during the [...]
Continue reading: The Captain Movie Trailer: Max Hubacher Pretends to be a German Captain During WWII...
Continue reading: The Captain Movie Trailer: Max Hubacher Pretends to be a German Captain During WWII...
- 6/22/2018
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
After the last decade-plus German director Robert Schwentke has been a Hollywood mainstay with varying levels of success, including Flightplan, Red, R.I.P.D., and a pair of Divergent films. For his latest film, he’s going smaller-scale and back to his roots with the WWII thriller The Captain – also known by its German title Der Hauptmann. With this psychologically challenging thriller, this isn’t Schwentke’s first independent venture as his 2002 horror drama Tattoo found an arthouse audience.
In her review for RogerEbert.com, Tina Hassannia compared the ideologies explored in The Captain to the Milgram experiment, the Stanford University-led experiment that unveiled people’s willingness to physically harm their peers if a high enough authority ordered them to do so. The comparison proves accurate as The Captain centers on German army deserter Willi Herold who disguises himself as a Nazi soldier in order to avoid capture. However, this disguise...
In her review for RogerEbert.com, Tina Hassannia compared the ideologies explored in The Captain to the Milgram experiment, the Stanford University-led experiment that unveiled people’s willingness to physically harm their peers if a high enough authority ordered them to do so. The comparison proves accurate as The Captain centers on German army deserter Willi Herold who disguises himself as a Nazi soldier in order to avoid capture. However, this disguise...
- 6/21/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Historical romance, literary adaptations, arthouse drama, star-studded comedies, children’s pics, animated fare and a high-profile documentary are among the many German films and co-productions on offer at this year’s Cannes Film Market.
Unspooling as part of the festival are Wim Wenders’ “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word,” repped by Focus Features and bowing in Special Screenings; “In My Room,” Ulrich Koehler’s story of a man who suddenly realizes everyone around him has disappeared, which world premieres in Un Certain Regard; and, in Intl. Critics’ Week sidebar, Anja Kofmel’s Swiss co-production “Chris the Swiss,” a partially animated documentary from Urban Distribution that investigates the mysterious death of a young Swiss journalist during the Yugoslav wars.
On the market side, one historical niche that is proving particularly successful is that of the turn-of-the-century artist.
Picture Tree Intl. is following its 2016 hit “Egon Schiele — Death and the Maiden,...
Unspooling as part of the festival are Wim Wenders’ “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word,” repped by Focus Features and bowing in Special Screenings; “In My Room,” Ulrich Koehler’s story of a man who suddenly realizes everyone around him has disappeared, which world premieres in Un Certain Regard; and, in Intl. Critics’ Week sidebar, Anja Kofmel’s Swiss co-production “Chris the Swiss,” a partially animated documentary from Urban Distribution that investigates the mysterious death of a young Swiss journalist during the Yugoslav wars.
On the market side, one historical niche that is proving particularly successful is that of the turn-of-the-century artist.
Picture Tree Intl. is following its 2016 hit “Egon Schiele — Death and the Maiden,...
- 5/12/2018
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Music Box Films has acquired U.S. rights to The Captain, the World War II drama written and directed by Robert Schwentke that had its world premiere last fall at the Toronto Film Festival. A second-half 2018 theatrical release is planned. Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel and Frederick Lau star in the pic, about a young German soldier (Hubacher), fighting for survival, who finds a Nazi captain's uniform in the waning moments of the war. Impersonating an officer, the man quickly…...
- 2/15/2018
- Deadline
Robert Schwentke’s film shows a young German soldier assuming the identity of a Nazi captain.
Music Box Films has acquired all Us rights from Alfama Films to Robert Schwentke’s The Captain (Der Hauptmann) starring Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, and Frederick Lau.
Alfama Films is in Berlin handling international sales on the drama, which takes place in the final days of the Second World War. When a young German soldier finds a Nazi captain’s uniform he assumes the monstrous identity of the very people from whom he is trying to escape.
The Captain premiered at Toronto 2017 and Music Box plans a theatrical roll-out in the second half of the year followed by a home entertainment release.
Schwentke’s credits include The Time Traveler’s Wife and the hit action-thriller Red.
“We are pleased to be working with Robert Schwentke to bring...
Music Box Films has acquired all Us rights from Alfama Films to Robert Schwentke’s The Captain (Der Hauptmann) starring Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, and Frederick Lau.
Alfama Films is in Berlin handling international sales on the drama, which takes place in the final days of the Second World War. When a young German soldier finds a Nazi captain’s uniform he assumes the monstrous identity of the very people from whom he is trying to escape.
The Captain premiered at Toronto 2017 and Music Box plans a theatrical roll-out in the second half of the year followed by a home entertainment release.
Schwentke’s credits include The Time Traveler’s Wife and the hit action-thriller Red.
“We are pleased to be working with Robert Schwentke to bring...
- 2/15/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
When a German drifter walks into the quaint Luxembourg village of Schandelsmillen with a scruffy beard, bag full of money, and stoically gruff attitude, we wonder what secrets his past holds. Jens Fauser (Frederick Lau) arrives with a single question: “Do you need help with the harvest?” That specific query unfortunately can’t help but make him stick out like a sore thumb further than he already does considering the harvest is half over. The townspeople therefore prove cold and cryptic, forcing him to accept work would be better found elsewhere. But as soon as that realization to move on arrives, the atmosphere abruptly shifts. Young Lucy (Vicky Krieps) invites him to her bed and old man Jos Gierens (Marco Lorenzini) takes him under wing. Suddenly he’s found home.
Writer/director Govinda Van Maele’s debut narrative feature Gutland shows this in rapid fashion so we never quite acknowledge everything’s inherent strangeness.
Writer/director Govinda Van Maele’s debut narrative feature Gutland shows this in rapid fashion so we never quite acknowledge everything’s inherent strangeness.
- 9/13/2017
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
There's something strange brewing in Luxembourg and it will be arriving on cinema screens with the premiere of Govinda Van Maele's thriller Gutland at the Toronto International Film Festival. And we are pleased to give a taste of Van Maele's rural gothic effort with a first look at both the gorgeous poster art from Gilles Vranckx and the official international teaser. Here's how Toronto describes the film: Fusing pastoral crime thriller with ancient fable, Luxembourgish writer-director Govinda Van Maele's fiction feature debut is handsome, mysterious, and spellbinding. Gutland begins with the arrival of an outsider in the agricultural community of Schandelsmillen. Harvest season is already well underway, but Jens (Frederick Lau, last at Tiff with 2015's Victoria), a German drifter, is looking for work. He's...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/4/2017
- Screen Anarchy
A young man takes his mentally handicapped brother to Hamburg to search for their father in the comedy-drama My Brother Simple (Simpel). Directed with mainstream efficiency but not a lot of originality by Munich-born Markus Goller, whose Friendship! (2010) and Frau Ella (2013) were big hits locally, this German adaptation of French scribe Marie-Aude Murail’s novel casts Frederick Lau, the protagonist from one-take art house hit Victoria, as the lead and The Reader breakout David Kross as his titular sibling. The duo’s touching, fully inhabited performances elevate the otherwise rather conventional material, though its familiarity might actually be...
- 6/19/2017
- by Boyd van Hoeij
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: German actor Frederick Lau, who starred in Dennis Gansel's socio-political thriller The Wave, has signed with London-based talent agency United Agents. The young actor, who has more than 50 roles under his belt, most recently won critics over for his role as streetwise alpha male Sonne in Sebastian Schipper's 2015 Berlinale prize winner Victoria. The movie, which was filmed on a single mobile shot lasting more than two hours follows the story of a group of…...
- 9/9/2016
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: German actor Frederick Lau, who starred in Dennis Gansel's socio-political thriller The Wave, has signed with London-based talent agency United Agents. The young actor, who has more than 50 roles under his belt, most recently won critics over for his role as streetwise alpha male Sonne in Sebastian Schipper's 2015 Berlinale prize winner Victoria. The movie, which was filmed on a single mobile shot lasting more than two hours follows the story of a group of…...
- 9/9/2016
- Deadline
The two-hour-plus single-take gimmick disappears into the background as the implausibility and the flatness of the protagonist come to the unfortunate fore. I’m “biast” (pro): desperate for stories about women
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
And here I was all excited to finally catch up with the film my fellow critics have been raving about for months. Victoria! One single long take: no cuts or edits for two hours and nine minutes as a young woman runs around Berlin. Turns out it’s not even very intriguing as a stunt, the technological challenges of it aside; there’s a good reason for cuts and edits, as a few tediously long walking and driving sequences remind us. Mostly director Sebastian Schipper’s gimmick disappears into the background as the implausibility and the flatness of the central character — as the...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
And here I was all excited to finally catch up with the film my fellow critics have been raving about for months. Victoria! One single long take: no cuts or edits for two hours and nine minutes as a young woman runs around Berlin. Turns out it’s not even very intriguing as a stunt, the technological challenges of it aside; there’s a good reason for cuts and edits, as a few tediously long walking and driving sequences remind us. Mostly director Sebastian Schipper’s gimmick disappears into the background as the implausibility and the flatness of the central character — as the...
- 5/25/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Love blossoms at double-quick speed in a breathless heist thriller, while Spotlight celebrates the merits of listening
There are bigger films than Victoria (Curzon, 15), out on DVD tomorrow, but none that can quite match it for grand, gutsy vision. You may have heard by now that Sebastian Schipper’s heart-speeding heist thriller was shot in one continuous take – one prodigiously athletic 130-minute take, that is, racing through more than 20 locations in downtown Berlin without a single cut or digital join. This is true, and altogether belief-defying: no film in recent years has inspired astonishment at such a fundamental, how-did-they-do-that? level.
But what’s most extraordinary about Victoria is that the trick isn’t what you’re thinking about as you watch it. Rather, it’s the desperate, double-quick romance that blooms over two hours between a winsome Spanish waitress (Laia Costa) and the German charmer (Frederick Lau) who draws her into a wild robbery scheme.
There are bigger films than Victoria (Curzon, 15), out on DVD tomorrow, but none that can quite match it for grand, gutsy vision. You may have heard by now that Sebastian Schipper’s heart-speeding heist thriller was shot in one continuous take – one prodigiously athletic 130-minute take, that is, racing through more than 20 locations in downtown Berlin without a single cut or digital join. This is true, and altogether belief-defying: no film in recent years has inspired astonishment at such a fundamental, how-did-they-do-that? level.
But what’s most extraordinary about Victoria is that the trick isn’t what you’re thinking about as you watch it. Rather, it’s the desperate, double-quick romance that blooms over two hours between a winsome Spanish waitress (Laia Costa) and the German charmer (Frederick Lau) who draws her into a wild robbery scheme.
- 5/22/2016
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Earning about as much praise as criticism (including tying for the Silver Berlin Bear in 2015) is actor/director Sebastian Schipper’s fourth feature, Victoria, the impressively formulated, single take romance/bank heist thriller. Completed after three attempts and largely improvised (the initial script was only twelve pages), it’s a testament to the ambitious possibilities of cinema, and potentially an argument for the necessity for multiple takes in the first place. Although its limited Us theatrical release in October, 2015 courtesy of distributor Adopt Films didn’t garner the same excited response it received on the international circuit (it was actually bypassed by the Toronto International Film Festival), this will be a title now referenced as the gold standard for narratives transpiring within a single take.
Opening in the throes of a dance floor of a packed techno club, Victoria (Costa), makes her way to the exit. Dawn is approaching, and she’s scheduled to work,...
Opening in the throes of a dance floor of a packed techno club, Victoria (Costa), makes her way to the exit. Dawn is approaching, and she’s scheduled to work,...
- 2/9/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Victoria
Directed by Sebastian Schipper
Germany, 2015
The long take is nothing new to cinema, but now far beyond the punctual formalism of Orson Welles and the wide gentleness of Kenji Mizoguchi, it has obtained nearly folkloric status.
It’s difficult to write about Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria without at least mentioning Rope and Russian Ark – two famous films that also attempt the one take trick for the duration of the film. At the very least, Alfred Hitchcock’s and Alexander Sokurov’s films present a blueprint. At the most, Schipper’s film takes the dramatic success of the former and combines it with the demanding set pieces and choreography of the latter.
Victoria (Laia Costa), a young Spanish woman visiting Berlin, meets Sonne (Frederick Lau) at a nightclub. Over the course of one night she meets his other friends, including Boxer (Franz Rogowski), and unexpectedly becomes their getaway driver in a dangerous heist.
Directed by Sebastian Schipper
Germany, 2015
The long take is nothing new to cinema, but now far beyond the punctual formalism of Orson Welles and the wide gentleness of Kenji Mizoguchi, it has obtained nearly folkloric status.
It’s difficult to write about Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria without at least mentioning Rope and Russian Ark – two famous films that also attempt the one take trick for the duration of the film. At the very least, Alfred Hitchcock’s and Alexander Sokurov’s films present a blueprint. At the most, Schipper’s film takes the dramatic success of the former and combines it with the demanding set pieces and choreography of the latter.
Victoria (Laia Costa), a young Spanish woman visiting Berlin, meets Sonne (Frederick Lau) at a nightclub. Over the course of one night she meets his other friends, including Boxer (Franz Rogowski), and unexpectedly becomes their getaway driver in a dangerous heist.
- 10/12/2015
- by Neal Dhand
- SoundOnSight
Sleepless Night: Schipper’s Audacious, Single Take Heist Thriller
Actor turned director Sebastian Schipper makes major headway with his fourth effort behind the camera, Victoria. Premiering at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival where it snagged an award for cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grovlen (who also lensed Anders Morgenthaler’s The 11th Hour, which starred Schipper, as well as the 2015 Un Certain Regard winner, Rams), this two hour plus blend of romantic drama and heist thriller was filmed in one, single take, shot in the wee morning hours on the streets of Berlin. Technically accomplished and satisfying as a narrative, the film provides lead actress Laia Costa, playing the titular protagonist, with a spectacular role that should see her international career boom a bit like Franka Potente’s following Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run (1998).
Opening in the throes of a dance floor of a packed techno club, Victoria (Costa), makes her way to the exit.
Actor turned director Sebastian Schipper makes major headway with his fourth effort behind the camera, Victoria. Premiering at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival where it snagged an award for cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grovlen (who also lensed Anders Morgenthaler’s The 11th Hour, which starred Schipper, as well as the 2015 Un Certain Regard winner, Rams), this two hour plus blend of romantic drama and heist thriller was filmed in one, single take, shot in the wee morning hours on the streets of Berlin. Technically accomplished and satisfying as a narrative, the film provides lead actress Laia Costa, playing the titular protagonist, with a spectacular role that should see her international career boom a bit like Franka Potente’s following Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run (1998).
Opening in the throes of a dance floor of a packed techno club, Victoria (Costa), makes her way to the exit.
- 10/9/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
It's early in the morning in Berlin, and a 23-year-old woman from Madrid named Victoria is dancing to her heart's content all alone in a nightclub. As she's leaving, the young woman meets some charming, roguish local guys, who invite her to venture out into the city streets looking for fun. Impulsively, she decides to go for it — and over the next two hours of gunfire, coke binges, high-speed pursuits and one major predawn bank heist, Victoria will get way more than she bargained for. And the "fun" never stops,...
- 10/8/2015
- Rollingstone.com
The word on the street about Victoria is that it’s a must-see for one reason: its entire two-plus hour runtime was captured in a single, pulse-pounding continuous take. While that aspect is definitely paramount, don’t think the film has nothing else to offer. As my review notes, this thing gets your blood pumping as much from the authentic performances of regular people in over their heads as it does the technical artistry. And the man leading the way to orchestrate both these halves is Sebastian Schipper.
We talked with the co-writer/director about his trust in cast and crew as well as what he believes is crucially important—embracing imperfections to better portray his characters’ universal humanity. The main quartet must be relatable in this way in order for us to invest the time necessary to follow them on their escalating adventures around Berlin. We empathize with his...
We talked with the co-writer/director about his trust in cast and crew as well as what he believes is crucially important—embracing imperfections to better portray his characters’ universal humanity. The main quartet must be relatable in this way in order for us to invest the time necessary to follow them on their escalating adventures around Berlin. We empathize with his...
- 10/8/2015
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
This was not the 40th edition of the “Festival of Festivals” that Toronto was hoping for. The 2015 Toronto International Festival began with legal issues forcing the Aretha Franklin concert documentary “Amazing Grace” to cancel its opening night slot and has pretty much ended with the withdraw of the Amber Heard drama “London Fields” after director Matthew Cullen took the film’s producers to court claiming (among other things) that they re-edited the film without his input. Considering how weak the world premieres were overall this year it was par the course for a festival’s whose opening weekend was colder and rainier than in recent memory. Granted, There were certainly a lot of good movies that screened at the fest this year, but almost every single one of them debuted somewhere else. That’s not good for an event that considers itself one of the premier film festivals in the world.
- 9/18/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
A number of films every year try to do something unique or inventive in the medium of cinema. 2015 has been no different in this regard, having already seen the release of Tangerine, which is shot entirely using three iPhones, and Heaven Knows What, which casts a newcomer and recovering addict in the role of an addict. Another film that will join those ranks is the German film Victoria, whose 140 minute runtime was shot in one take. The film’s synopsis is below.
A movie shot in a single take about Victoria, a runaway party girl, who’s asked by three friendly men to join them as they hit the town. Their wild night of partying turns into a bank robbery.
The film is directed by Sebastian Schipper, and shot by Sturla Brandth Grøvlen. The Red Band Society‘s Laia Costa stars as the titular character, with Frederick Lau and Max Mauff among the supporting cast.
A movie shot in a single take about Victoria, a runaway party girl, who’s asked by three friendly men to join them as they hit the town. Their wild night of partying turns into a bank robbery.
The film is directed by Sebastian Schipper, and shot by Sturla Brandth Grøvlen. The Red Band Society‘s Laia Costa stars as the titular character, with Frederick Lau and Max Mauff among the supporting cast.
- 7/24/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
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