An apocalyptic drama from the makes of Deutschland 83, a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and an emotionally-driven series set in Alabama are European giant Sky Deutschland’s latest trio of original dramas.
Ahead of the satellite broadcaster’s launch of original drama Munich Games tonight at the Munich Film Festival, three Sky Studios shows have been unveiled: Helgoland 513, Frankenstein Untold and Huntsville Al. The latter two are in development, while the former has been greenlit.
Helgoland is set in 2034 after after a global apocalypse, where the North Sea island of Helgoland has become humanity’s last safe haven. A totalitarian society has been established that only allows 513 people on the island and as resources are scarce, an inhumane ‘social ranking’ system evaluates the lives of the inhabitants according to their ‘usefulness.’ At there same time, a dangerous force from the mainland prepares to invade.
Written and directed by Robert Schwentke, the seven-part series will begin filming later this year and comes from Deutschland 83 producer UFA Fiction in association with Sky Studios.
Frankenstein Untold is billed as “a radical reimagining of Mary Shelley’s fantasy classic.” The synopsis reveals “intense and emotionally complex drama” is “told through the eyes of eight powerful characters” and explores the philosophical and political depths of the novel, centering around themes, such as the search for love and belonging, as well as revenge.” Set in 1816, locations include dirty streets of Ingolstadt, Germany, Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, and the vast ice desert of the North Pole.
Philipp Stölzl is creator and director, with the series currently in development with Neue Schönhauser Film (Back on Track).
Huntsville Al takes inspiration by “never-before-told, true stories,” and will be an “emotionally intense drama set in the 1950s in the southern town of Huntsville, Alabama.”
It will explore how hundreds of former German Nazi engineers and their families radically transforming the segregated, sleepy little town as the American space industry neared its launch after they were recruited by the US Army for a secret missile project. They dream of reaching the Moon, but the late arrival of one family could endanger the whole endeavour.
Director Achim v. Borries (Babylon Berlin), Nadav Schirman (The Green Prince), Ron Leshem and Amit Cohen created the series, which is currently in development with Zeitsprung, Fremantle’s Italian producer Wildside and Beta Film.
Next Up Event Sets Agenda
Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz and EVP for Deutschland and Italia Nils Hartmann unveiled the series at Sky’s Up Next event in Munich, which came during the same period at the Munich Film Festival. Sky Deutschland is giving Munich Games, its six-part political thriller from creator and writer Michal Aviram (Fauda), director Philipp Kadelbach and writer Martin Behnke. Co-produced by Amusement Park Film, CBS Studios and Sky Studios, it is set 50 years after the Munich Massacre, when Israel’s Olympic team were attacked and taken hostage by terrorists.
At the Next Up event Elke Walthelm, EVP of Content for Sky Deutschland revealed the broadcaster will offer over 60 local and international Sky Original series to customers across the Germany, Austria and Switzerland this year, such as Souls from Geißendörfer Pictures.
Hartmann added: “The new Sky Originals revealed today showcase the breadth of storytelling and creative ambition we are targeting on our original drama slate for Sky Studios Deutschland. We want the creative community in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to bring us their best, boldest and buzziest ideas as we invest further in premium original content for our customers.”...
Ahead of the satellite broadcaster’s launch of original drama Munich Games tonight at the Munich Film Festival, three Sky Studios shows have been unveiled: Helgoland 513, Frankenstein Untold and Huntsville Al. The latter two are in development, while the former has been greenlit.
Helgoland is set in 2034 after after a global apocalypse, where the North Sea island of Helgoland has become humanity’s last safe haven. A totalitarian society has been established that only allows 513 people on the island and as resources are scarce, an inhumane ‘social ranking’ system evaluates the lives of the inhabitants according to their ‘usefulness.’ At there same time, a dangerous force from the mainland prepares to invade.
Written and directed by Robert Schwentke, the seven-part series will begin filming later this year and comes from Deutschland 83 producer UFA Fiction in association with Sky Studios.
Frankenstein Untold is billed as “a radical reimagining of Mary Shelley’s fantasy classic.” The synopsis reveals “intense and emotionally complex drama” is “told through the eyes of eight powerful characters” and explores the philosophical and political depths of the novel, centering around themes, such as the search for love and belonging, as well as revenge.” Set in 1816, locations include dirty streets of Ingolstadt, Germany, Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, and the vast ice desert of the North Pole.
Philipp Stölzl is creator and director, with the series currently in development with Neue Schönhauser Film (Back on Track).
Huntsville Al takes inspiration by “never-before-told, true stories,” and will be an “emotionally intense drama set in the 1950s in the southern town of Huntsville, Alabama.”
It will explore how hundreds of former German Nazi engineers and their families radically transforming the segregated, sleepy little town as the American space industry neared its launch after they were recruited by the US Army for a secret missile project. They dream of reaching the Moon, but the late arrival of one family could endanger the whole endeavour.
Director Achim v. Borries (Babylon Berlin), Nadav Schirman (The Green Prince), Ron Leshem and Amit Cohen created the series, which is currently in development with Zeitsprung, Fremantle’s Italian producer Wildside and Beta Film.
Next Up Event Sets Agenda
Sky Studios CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz and EVP for Deutschland and Italia Nils Hartmann unveiled the series at Sky’s Up Next event in Munich, which came during the same period at the Munich Film Festival. Sky Deutschland is giving Munich Games, its six-part political thriller from creator and writer Michal Aviram (Fauda), director Philipp Kadelbach and writer Martin Behnke. Co-produced by Amusement Park Film, CBS Studios and Sky Studios, it is set 50 years after the Munich Massacre, when Israel’s Olympic team were attacked and taken hostage by terrorists.
At the Next Up event Elke Walthelm, EVP of Content for Sky Deutschland revealed the broadcaster will offer over 60 local and international Sky Original series to customers across the Germany, Austria and Switzerland this year, such as Souls from Geißendörfer Pictures.
Hartmann added: “The new Sky Originals revealed today showcase the breadth of storytelling and creative ambition we are targeting on our original drama slate for Sky Studios Deutschland. We want the creative community in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to bring us their best, boldest and buzziest ideas as we invest further in premium original content for our customers.”...
- 6/28/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Acquittal
The Berlin International Film Festival has called for the acquittal of Zimbabwean author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga (“I Want a Wedding Dress”) who served on the international jury of the festival earlier this year. Dangarembga was arrested in July 2020 at a protest in Harare along with journalist Julie Barnes, where both were calling for the release of journalists and for institutional reforms.
They are being charged with inciting public violence, disturbing the peace and bigotry, and with violations of Covid regulations. The women have since been released on bail, but they have also been subpoenaed 26 times. In the trial, now taking place before the anti-corruption Court in Harare, a decision will be made whether to drop the case or seek a verdict.
“As an institution that stands up for freedom of speech and freedom of artistic expression worldwide, we ask the government of Zimbabwe to clear Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes of all charges,...
The Berlin International Film Festival has called for the acquittal of Zimbabwean author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga (“I Want a Wedding Dress”) who served on the international jury of the festival earlier this year. Dangarembga was arrested in July 2020 at a protest in Harare along with journalist Julie Barnes, where both were calling for the release of journalists and for institutional reforms.
They are being charged with inciting public violence, disturbing the peace and bigotry, and with violations of Covid regulations. The women have since been released on bail, but they have also been subpoenaed 26 times. In the trial, now taking place before the anti-corruption Court in Harare, a decision will be made whether to drop the case or seek a verdict.
“As an institution that stands up for freedom of speech and freedom of artistic expression worldwide, we ask the government of Zimbabwe to clear Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes of all charges,...
- 6/23/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking with top German talent agency Players. Headed up by Mechthild Holter and Fabian Haslob, the duo have clients that have worked across recent projects such as Babylon Berlin, Unorthodox and Deutchland ’89. In a rare interview, they tell us why now is a great time for German-speaking talent to cross borders.
With film and television sectors more globalized than ever, international talent has fast become a premium for streamers as they lean in on local language productions in foreign markets to offset stagnant domestic growth. One company at the sharp end of this change is Germany’s Players Agency. The company, which was founded by Mechthild Holter in 1994, represents around 180 actors, writers, directors and cinematographers and is...
With film and television sectors more globalized than ever, international talent has fast become a premium for streamers as they lean in on local language productions in foreign markets to offset stagnant domestic growth. One company at the sharp end of this change is Germany’s Players Agency. The company, which was founded by Mechthild Holter in 1994, represents around 180 actors, writers, directors and cinematographers and is...
- 6/22/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Monday’s Up Next: Germany session at this year’s European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin put the spotlight on a slew of upcoming series, spanning Hamburg’s Red Light district, Germany’s first female undercover cop and the Munich Olympic massacre.
Invited to the Berlinale studio, with some participants taking part online, several of Germany’s top creatives made the play date to talk with Julia Fidel, head of the Berlinale Series. Hanno Hackfort (“4 Blocks”), Jella Haase (“Lollipop Minster”), Lisa Kreimeyer (Netflix), Viviane Andereggen (“Tatort”), Christian Beetz (“Make Love”), Georg Tschurtschenthaler (“Viral Dreams”), and actor Detlev Buck were amongst those that took part.
The idea of the panel was to present new material straight from the editing room with many of the series still six months away from being seen. The session provided a first look at a number of projects nearing completion, including the comedy “Greenlight – German Genius,...
Invited to the Berlinale studio, with some participants taking part online, several of Germany’s top creatives made the play date to talk with Julia Fidel, head of the Berlinale Series. Hanno Hackfort (“4 Blocks”), Jella Haase (“Lollipop Minster”), Lisa Kreimeyer (Netflix), Viviane Andereggen (“Tatort”), Christian Beetz (“Make Love”), Georg Tschurtschenthaler (“Viral Dreams”), and actor Detlev Buck were amongst those that took part.
The idea of the panel was to present new material straight from the editing room with many of the series still six months away from being seen. The session provided a first look at a number of projects nearing completion, including the comedy “Greenlight – German Genius,...
- 2/16/2022
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
Munich Match is a drama series inspired by the infamous 1972 Olympics massacre. Creator Michal Aviram, who writes and exec produces the Sky series, said during the series’ pane at Deadline’s New Tube event that she had a “deep fixation” on the famous photo from the Olympic Village balcony and wanted to create a show inspired by these events.
“I was really fascinated by the story, it was so powerful, people from Israel, Jewish, coming to Germany for a very peaceful sporting event, and you thought this could never happen again… after the war. It was like a knife to the heart and really influenced Israel and Germany in many ways,” she said.
The six-part series is set 50 years after the massacre and Munich is hosting a “friendly” soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Tensions and nerves are running high, with the political stakes even higher...
“I was really fascinated by the story, it was so powerful, people from Israel, Jewish, coming to Germany for a very peaceful sporting event, and you thought this could never happen again… after the war. It was like a knife to the heart and really influenced Israel and Germany in many ways,” she said.
The six-part series is set 50 years after the massacre and Munich is hosting a “friendly” soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Tensions and nerves are running high, with the political stakes even higher...
- 9/24/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Fauda’ Writer Michal Aviram Sets Thriller Series ‘Munich Match’ at CBS Studios, Sky, Amusement Park
Michal Aviram, one of the writers of global hit series “Fauda,” has created six-part drama thriller series “Munich Match” (working title).
The series is set in 2022, 50 years after the Munich Massacre, a terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. On the anniversary of the attack, Munich is hosting a friendly soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Political stakes are high and everything is being done to make the match a safe and peaceful event, but history might be repeating all over again.
Aviram wrote the scripts with Martin Behnke (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”). Philipp Kadelbach (“We Children from Bahnhof Zoo”) is directing.
The series, produced by Sky Studios, Amusement Park Film (“A Most Wanted Man”) and CBS Studios, will commence principal photography in Germany this month.
Daniel Brühl, Amelie von Kienlin and Malte Grunert from Amusement Park Film, Frank Jastfelder and Julia Jaensch from Sky Studios, Meghan Lyvers from CBS Studios,...
The series is set in 2022, 50 years after the Munich Massacre, a terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. On the anniversary of the attack, Munich is hosting a friendly soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Political stakes are high and everything is being done to make the match a safe and peaceful event, but history might be repeating all over again.
Aviram wrote the scripts with Martin Behnke (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”). Philipp Kadelbach (“We Children from Bahnhof Zoo”) is directing.
The series, produced by Sky Studios, Amusement Park Film (“A Most Wanted Man”) and CBS Studios, will commence principal photography in Germany this month.
Daniel Brühl, Amelie von Kienlin and Malte Grunert from Amusement Park Film, Frank Jastfelder and Julia Jaensch from Sky Studios, Meghan Lyvers from CBS Studios,...
- 9/2/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Sky has ordered a terrorist drama series about an incident in Germany set 50 years after the Munich massacre.
The broadcaster has ordered Munich Match (w/t) from CBS Studios, A Most Wanted Man producer Amusement Park Film and its own Sky Studios.
It marks one of the most high-profile projects for CBS Studios internationally after the ViacomCBS unit began ramping up its global presence.
The series will launch across all Sky territories including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland with production starting this month in Germany.
The six-part series is set 50 years after the Munich Massacre; a traumatic terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. It’s now 2022, and on the anniversary of the attack, Munich is hosting a ‘friendly’ soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Tensions and nerves are running high, with the political stakes even higher as the eyes of the world watch on.
The broadcaster has ordered Munich Match (w/t) from CBS Studios, A Most Wanted Man producer Amusement Park Film and its own Sky Studios.
It marks one of the most high-profile projects for CBS Studios internationally after the ViacomCBS unit began ramping up its global presence.
The series will launch across all Sky territories including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland with production starting this month in Germany.
The six-part series is set 50 years after the Munich Massacre; a traumatic terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. It’s now 2022, and on the anniversary of the attack, Munich is hosting a ‘friendly’ soccer game between an Israeli and a German football club. Tensions and nerves are running high, with the political stakes even higher as the eyes of the world watch on.
- 9/2/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Philipp Kadelbach, director and co-creator of the series “We Children From Bahnhof Zoo,” says his initial impulse when approached to helm the series was to steer well clear of what he saw as a fool’s errand, given the iconic status in Germany and elsewhere of Uli Edel’s 1981 feature film “Christiane F.,” which – like the series – is based on the book “Christiane F.: Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo.”
“I said, ‘I’m not going to do this. I’m not crazy.’ Because it’s like a monument for so many people. And everybody would start attacking me because I’ve gone to tell this story again, and they really loved it,” he tells Variety.
However, having read Annette Hess’ scripts, he saw how she had approached the material in a different way. The film felt like it had a voyeuristic approach to the subject, he says. He resolved to...
“I said, ‘I’m not going to do this. I’m not crazy.’ Because it’s like a monument for so many people. And everybody would start attacking me because I’ve gone to tell this story again, and they really loved it,” he tells Variety.
However, having read Annette Hess’ scripts, he saw how she had approached the material in a different way. The film felt like it had a voyeuristic approach to the subject, he says. He resolved to...
- 4/9/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video has snapped up the rights to German coming of age series We Children From Bahnhof Zoo for the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Benelux.
The Constantin Television and Amazon Studios series, co-produced by Wilma Film (Czech Republic) and Cattleya (Italy), will premiere globally on April 9 following its launch in Germany. It is a re-imagining of the best-selling autobiography by Christiane F. that also inspired the cult film of the same name.
Here’s the logline: “Christiane, Stella, Babsi, Axel, Michi and Benno find each other in the intoxicating clubs and underground parties of Berlin. They are strong, courageous and living wildly in ‘paradise’ – one that initially appears to be a riot of colour and excitement.
“As the group’s bond intensifies, they hedonistically chase the next thrill, navigating their way through euphoric highs and dark, dangerous lows. While their lives and relationships expand and unravel,...
The Constantin Television and Amazon Studios series, co-produced by Wilma Film (Czech Republic) and Cattleya (Italy), will premiere globally on April 9 following its launch in Germany. It is a re-imagining of the best-selling autobiography by Christiane F. that also inspired the cult film of the same name.
Here’s the logline: “Christiane, Stella, Babsi, Axel, Michi and Benno find each other in the intoxicating clubs and underground parties of Berlin. They are strong, courageous and living wildly in ‘paradise’ – one that initially appears to be a riot of colour and excitement.
“As the group’s bond intensifies, they hedonistically chase the next thrill, navigating their way through euphoric highs and dark, dangerous lows. While their lives and relationships expand and unravel,...
- 3/22/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video Takes U.S., Most of Europe on ‘We Children From Bahnhof Zoo’ After Fremantle Deal
Fremantle has near sold the world outside Asia on “We Children From Bahnhof Zoo” – thanks to a raft of sales that include a worldwide deal with Amazon Prime Video for the U.S., English-speaking territories and all Europe’s outstanding major markets.
Taking in further sales to HBO Europe, Nent Group and Russia’s More TV, the series, produced by Constantin Television and Amazon Studios and a modern reworking of the story of Christiane F., has currently closed more than 40 territories, Fremantle announced Monday.
Co-produced by the Czech Republic’s Wilma Film and Italy’s Cattleya, “We Children From Bahnhof Zoo” will open on Prime Video in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and Benelux from April 9, and Italy on May 7.
HBO Europe has licensed 15 territories in Central and Eastern Europe, where it operates channels and streaming services, led by Poland and Hungary and the Baltic States.
Taking in further sales to HBO Europe, Nent Group and Russia’s More TV, the series, produced by Constantin Television and Amazon Studios and a modern reworking of the story of Christiane F., has currently closed more than 40 territories, Fremantle announced Monday.
Co-produced by the Czech Republic’s Wilma Film and Italy’s Cattleya, “We Children From Bahnhof Zoo” will open on Prime Video in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and Benelux from April 9, and Italy on May 7.
HBO Europe has licensed 15 territories in Central and Eastern Europe, where it operates channels and streaming services, led by Poland and Hungary and the Baltic States.
- 3/22/2021
- by John Hopewell and Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Despite the coronavirus production hiatus, there’s a wealth of international dramas launching at 2020 Mipcom. From Australia to the U.K., Variety rounds up 15 of the most anticipated international series debuting at the market.
Alice (U.K.)
“The Durrells” writer Simon Nye and star Keeley Hawes reteam for this black comedy about a woman coming to terms with the death of her husband. Nigel Havers and Joanna Lumley co-star.
Broadcaster: ITV; Distributor: StudioCanal
Alive and Kicking (Spain)
A coming-of-age tale about four teens escaping a psychiatric institution, “Alive and Kicking” is a YA drama that’s billed as a cross between “Stand by Me” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” – aiming to break down prejudices about teen mental health.
Broadcaster: Movistar Plus; Distributor: BetaFilm
Anna (Italy)
Adapted and directed by Niccolò Ammaniti from his acclaimed novel, this post-apocalyptic tale depicts a ravaged Sicily after an epidemic has wiped out adults,...
Alice (U.K.)
“The Durrells” writer Simon Nye and star Keeley Hawes reteam for this black comedy about a woman coming to terms with the death of her husband. Nigel Havers and Joanna Lumley co-star.
Broadcaster: ITV; Distributor: StudioCanal
Alive and Kicking (Spain)
A coming-of-age tale about four teens escaping a psychiatric institution, “Alive and Kicking” is a YA drama that’s billed as a cross between “Stand by Me” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” – aiming to break down prejudices about teen mental health.
Broadcaster: Movistar Plus; Distributor: BetaFilm
Anna (Italy)
Adapted and directed by Niccolò Ammaniti from his acclaimed novel, this post-apocalyptic tale depicts a ravaged Sicily after an epidemic has wiped out adults,...
- 10/12/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Constantin Television and Amazon Studios have revealed the lead cast – and have released the first photo of them on location – for their coproduction “We Children From Bahnhof Zoo.” The high-end series, inspired by the 1978 non-fiction book about teenage drug users in Berlin that was previously adapted as the shocking 1981 film “Christiane F.,” is being distributed internationally by Fremantle.
The series presents “a picture of the drugs and club scene in Berlin” that is “provocative” and “controversial,” according to a statement from the producers.
The Bahnhof Zoo clique at the heart of the show will be played by Jana McKinnon (Christiane), Michelangelo Fortuzzi (Benno), Lena Urzendowsky (Stella), Bruno Alexander (Michi), Jeremias Meyer (Axel) and Lea Drinda (Babsi).
As previously reported, Philipp Kadelbach is directing the eight-episode series. His credits include “Generation War,” about a group of young German friends going through World War II, BBC series “SS-gb,” based on Len Deighton’s novel,...
The series presents “a picture of the drugs and club scene in Berlin” that is “provocative” and “controversial,” according to a statement from the producers.
The Bahnhof Zoo clique at the heart of the show will be played by Jana McKinnon (Christiane), Michelangelo Fortuzzi (Benno), Lena Urzendowsky (Stella), Bruno Alexander (Michi), Jeremias Meyer (Axel) and Lea Drinda (Babsi).
As previously reported, Philipp Kadelbach is directing the eight-episode series. His credits include “Generation War,” about a group of young German friends going through World War II, BBC series “SS-gb,” based on Len Deighton’s novel,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke outlined global content plans to press in Los Angeles.
Pitching itself as an increasingly global content producer, Amazon Studios has given green lights to a slew of new original series from territories including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico.
In a presentation at this week’s Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in Los Angeles, the company said it was ordering or renewing more than 20 series from international markets for its Amazon Prime Video streaming platform.
Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke said the slate reflected a strategy initiated soon after her appointment a...
Pitching itself as an increasingly global content producer, Amazon Studios has given green lights to a slew of new original series from territories including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico.
In a presentation at this week’s Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in Los Angeles, the company said it was ordering or renewing more than 20 series from international markets for its Amazon Prime Video streaming platform.
Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke said the slate reflected a strategy initiated soon after her appointment a...
- 2/14/2019
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Aiming to ramp up its premium international content, Amazon Prime Video has greenlit the production of 17 new original series from Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico.
These include “The Power,” a British contemporary thriller based on Naomi Alderman’s bestselling science-fiction novel; “El Presidente,” a Mexican crime series inspired by the 2015 corruption scandal that engulfed world soccer body FIFA ; “We Children of Bahnhof Zoo,” a German series based on the 1978 controversial autobiographical book by the same name; “The Last Hour,” an Indian supernatural crime thriller set in the Himalayas; and an untitled social issue series produced by Vice Media Japan, which will mark the first collaboration between Vice and Amazon Prime Video.
“We know that customers watching Prime Video everywhere want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries, and to invest in characters that can reflect their own experiences and diversity,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.
These include “The Power,” a British contemporary thriller based on Naomi Alderman’s bestselling science-fiction novel; “El Presidente,” a Mexican crime series inspired by the 2015 corruption scandal that engulfed world soccer body FIFA ; “We Children of Bahnhof Zoo,” a German series based on the 1978 controversial autobiographical book by the same name; “The Last Hour,” an Indian supernatural crime thriller set in the Himalayas; and an untitled social issue series produced by Vice Media Japan, which will mark the first collaboration between Vice and Amazon Prime Video.
“We know that customers watching Prime Video everywhere want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries, and to invest in characters that can reflect their own experiences and diversity,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.
- 2/13/2019
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon is going global in a big way with the launch of 20 new and returning international series including titles from the likes of Amy director Asif Kapadia as well as a Japanese version of The Bachelorette.
It has ordered a raft of scripted and non-scripted titles from Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico (full list below).
“We’re delighted to announce the commissioning of more than twenty new and returning series, to be produced in seven countries across three continents around the world. We know that customers watching Prime Video everywhere want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries, and to invest in characters that can reflect their own experiences and diversity,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re excited and committed to amplifying the voices of storytellers from all over the world and to bring their visions to life for our viewers worldwide.”
James Farrell,...
It has ordered a raft of scripted and non-scripted titles from Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico (full list below).
“We’re delighted to announce the commissioning of more than twenty new and returning series, to be produced in seven countries across three continents around the world. We know that customers watching Prime Video everywhere want to see authentic stories, set in their own countries, and to invest in characters that can reflect their own experiences and diversity,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re excited and committed to amplifying the voices of storytellers from all over the world and to bring their visions to life for our viewers worldwide.”
James Farrell,...
- 2/13/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Just in time for Christmas comes the heartwarming story of “Perfume,” which follows a half-dozen friends so obsessed with the possibilities of smell that the death of one of them dredges up some extremely unpleasant things about their pasts.
The new series is based on the 1985 Patrick Süskind novel “Perfume,” which was previously adapted into the 2006 Tom Tykwer film “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” starring a pre-Bond Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, and Dustin Hoffman. This new TV venture brings the original story into a modern context, rather than the 18th-century French environs of the novel.
In updating the historical story, this six-part season also gets a detective show twist, with a group of investigators looking into the death of a singer. What they find is a group of one-time school friends, at least one of whom stumbled into the practice of using human scents as the basis for making a one-of-a-kind fragrance.
The new series is based on the 1985 Patrick Süskind novel “Perfume,” which was previously adapted into the 2006 Tom Tykwer film “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” starring a pre-Bond Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, and Dustin Hoffman. This new TV venture brings the original story into a modern context, rather than the 18th-century French environs of the novel.
In updating the historical story, this six-part season also gets a detective show twist, with a group of investigators looking into the death of a singer. What they find is a group of one-time school friends, at least one of whom stumbled into the practice of using human scents as the basis for making a one-of-a-kind fragrance.
- 11/21/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Patrick Süskind's novel "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" has already yielded one excellent adaptation in Tom Tykwer's outstanding movie of the same name but the concept of Süskind's book is being revamped for a new project simply titled "Perfume."
Writer Eva Kranenburg has updated the story to take place in the present and follows a young profiler tracking what appears to be a serial killer responsible for a series of brutal murders. The investigation leads her to a mysterious group formed at a boarding school whose members tried to manipulate people by using human scents.
The six-episode limited series is produced by Constantin Film who previously produced Tykwer's feature film adaptation, and is directed by Philipp Kadelbach who is best known for his...
Writer Eva Kranenburg has updated the story to take place in the present and follows a young profiler tracking what appears to be a serial killer responsible for a series of brutal murders. The investigation leads her to a mysterious group formed at a boarding school whose members tried to manipulate people by using human scents.
The six-episode limited series is produced by Constantin Film who previously produced Tykwer's feature film adaptation, and is directed by Philipp Kadelbach who is best known for his...
- 11/21/2018
- QuietEarth.us
Ufa Distribution teams up with Global Screen to sell So Viel Zeit, based on Frank Goosen novel.
The newly launched Ufa Distribution is teaming up with Munich-based Global Screen to handle international sales on SS-gb director Philipp Kadelbach’s new feature So viel Zeit (translated as So Much Time).
The adaptation of Frank Goosen’s eponymous novel about the rock band Bochums Steine, who make a comeback after 30 years when a band member learns that he is terminally ill, features a stellar cast including Jan Josef Liefers (Vier gegen die Bank), Jürgen Vogel (The Wave), Armin Rohde (Taxi), Matthias Bundschuh (Wir sind die Neuen) and Richy Müller (Schlussmacher) as the boys in the band.
In addition, Kadelbach and the producers of Ufa Fiction and Feine Filme have landed Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs of the legendary band Scorpions to make a cameo appearance.
Backing for the co-production with public broadcaster Ard Degeto and Sky has come...
The newly launched Ufa Distribution is teaming up with Munich-based Global Screen to handle international sales on SS-gb director Philipp Kadelbach’s new feature So viel Zeit (translated as So Much Time).
The adaptation of Frank Goosen’s eponymous novel about the rock band Bochums Steine, who make a comeback after 30 years when a band member learns that he is terminally ill, features a stellar cast including Jan Josef Liefers (Vier gegen die Bank), Jürgen Vogel (The Wave), Armin Rohde (Taxi), Matthias Bundschuh (Wir sind die Neuen) and Richy Müller (Schlussmacher) as the boys in the band.
In addition, Kadelbach and the producers of Ufa Fiction and Feine Filme have landed Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs of the legendary band Scorpions to make a cameo appearance.
Backing for the co-production with public broadcaster Ard Degeto and Sky has come...
- 3/3/2017
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The BBC’s five-part miniseries, adapted from Len Deighton’s novel, holds up handsomely on the big screen, favouring film noir style over pulp content
The alternative history genre is built on “what ifs?”. The 1931 essay collection If It Had Happened Otherwise contains one piece wondering how history might have been different had John Wilkes Booth’s gun had jammed, leaving Abraham Lincoln to enjoy a perfectly pleasant evening at the theatre; another essay, written by Winston Churchill, imagines the world following a Confederate triumph at Gettysburg. There also exists an entire subgenre conditional on an undesirable outcome to the second world war. Robert Harris’s Fatherland and Philip K Dick’s The Man in the High Castle have been filmed for television. Now Len Deighton’s SS-gb, which shows the Metropolitan police adopting a business-as-usual approach in London after Britain’s capitulation to Germany, has been turned into a...
The alternative history genre is built on “what ifs?”. The 1931 essay collection If It Had Happened Otherwise contains one piece wondering how history might have been different had John Wilkes Booth’s gun had jammed, leaving Abraham Lincoln to enjoy a perfectly pleasant evening at the theatre; another essay, written by Winston Churchill, imagines the world following a Confederate triumph at Gettysburg. There also exists an entire subgenre conditional on an undesirable outcome to the second world war. Robert Harris’s Fatherland and Philip K Dick’s The Man in the High Castle have been filmed for television. Now Len Deighton’s SS-gb, which shows the Metropolitan police adopting a business-as-usual approach in London after Britain’s capitulation to Germany, has been turned into a...
- 2/15/2017
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Stanley Tucci, Catherine Deneuve dramas join competition; TV dramas and Oleg Sentsov doc set to get world premiere.
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalised its competition and Berlinale Special strands.
Joining the festival in Out Of Competition berths are Stanley Tucci-directed Final Portrait and Catherine Deneuve drama Sage Femme.
James Gray’s The Lost City Of Z will have its interntional premiere while documentary The Trial: The State of Russia vs Oleg Sentsov will have its world premiere.
Among TV world premieres are Amazon’s Patriot and BBC One’s SS-gb.
In total, 18 of the 24 films selected for Competitionwill be competing for the Golden and the Silver Bears. 22 of the films will have their world premieres at the festival.
For the third time, Berlinale Special Series will present a selection of TV series in the official programme. Six German and international productions will have their world premieres at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele this year...
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalised its competition and Berlinale Special strands.
Joining the festival in Out Of Competition berths are Stanley Tucci-directed Final Portrait and Catherine Deneuve drama Sage Femme.
James Gray’s The Lost City Of Z will have its interntional premiere while documentary The Trial: The State of Russia vs Oleg Sentsov will have its world premiere.
Among TV world premieres are Amazon’s Patriot and BBC One’s SS-gb.
In total, 18 of the 24 films selected for Competitionwill be competing for the Golden and the Silver Bears. 22 of the films will have their world premieres at the festival.
For the third time, Berlinale Special Series will present a selection of TV series in the official programme. Six German and international productions will have their world premieres at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele this year...
- 1/20/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Stanley Tucci, Catherine Deneuve dramas join competition; TV dramas and Oleg Sentsov doc set to get world premiere.
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalised its competition and Berlinale Special strands.
Joining the competition are
18 of the 24 films selected for Competition will be competing for the Golden and the Silver Bears. 22 of the films will have their world premieres at the festival.
The Berlinale Special will present recent works by contemporary filmmakers, documentaries, and extraordinary formats, as well as brand new series from around the world.
Berlinale Special Galas will be held at the Friedrichstadt-Palast and Zoo Palast. Other Special premieres will take place at the Kino International. Moderated discussions will follow the screenings at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
For the third time, Berlinale Special Series will present a selection of TV series in the official programme. Six German and international productions will have their world premieres at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele this year. Audiences...
The Berlin International Film Festival has finalised its competition and Berlinale Special strands.
Joining the competition are
18 of the 24 films selected for Competition will be competing for the Golden and the Silver Bears. 22 of the films will have their world premieres at the festival.
The Berlinale Special will present recent works by contemporary filmmakers, documentaries, and extraordinary formats, as well as brand new series from around the world.
Berlinale Special Galas will be held at the Friedrichstadt-Palast and Zoo Palast. Other Special premieres will take place at the Kino International. Moderated discussions will follow the screenings at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
For the third time, Berlinale Special Series will present a selection of TV series in the official programme. Six German and international productions will have their world premieres at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele this year. Audiences...
- 1/20/2017
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The Weinstein Company has acquired Us television rights to UK-based Sid Gentle Films’ upcoming alternate history thriller to star Sam Riley and Kate Bosworth.
SS-gb is based on Len Deighton’s 1978 novel of the same name and will air on BBC One in the UK.
James Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade adapted the speculative story, which takes place in a London in the 1940s occupied by the Nazis as a detective stumbles upon a web of intrigue.
Jason Flemyng, James Cosmo, Aneurin Barnard and Maeve Dermody also star alongside German actors Rainer Bock and Lars Eidinger.
Germany’s Philipp Kadelbach directs and executive producers are Sid Gentle Films’ Sally Woodward Gentle and Lee Morris.
The miniseries marks the second partnership between the Weinsteins, BBC, Lookout Point, and Bbcww this year following War & Peace.
David Glasser, Negeen Yazdi, James Gold, Michal Podell Steinberg, and Talia Houminer negotiated the deal for TWC with Bbcww and Lookout Point.
SS-gb is based on Len Deighton’s 1978 novel of the same name and will air on BBC One in the UK.
James Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade adapted the speculative story, which takes place in a London in the 1940s occupied by the Nazis as a detective stumbles upon a web of intrigue.
Jason Flemyng, James Cosmo, Aneurin Barnard and Maeve Dermody also star alongside German actors Rainer Bock and Lars Eidinger.
Germany’s Philipp Kadelbach directs and executive producers are Sid Gentle Films’ Sally Woodward Gentle and Lee Morris.
The miniseries marks the second partnership between the Weinsteins, BBC, Lookout Point, and Bbcww this year following War & Peace.
David Glasser, Negeen Yazdi, James Gold, Michal Podell Steinberg, and Talia Houminer negotiated the deal for TWC with Bbcww and Lookout Point.
- 6/22/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Kate Bosworth has joined Sam Riley in a new BBC thriller from the writers of Spectre.
The Superman Returns actress will play an American journalist named Barbara Barga in SS-gb, a five-parter from Spectre writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
Jason Flemyng, James Cosmo, Aneurin Barnard, Maeve Dermody and Rainer Bock will also appear in the series, directed by Philipp Kadelbach.
Based on Len Deighton's alternate history novel of the same name, SS-gb takes place in Nazi-occupied London and follows British detective Douglas Archer (Riley) investigating a black market murder.
However, Archer finds himself dragged into a much darker and treacherous world, with extremely high stakes.
"Archer is a compelling and complex character," said Riley. "He is a good guy struggling to reconcile his job as a policeman within the repressive Nazi machine.
"Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have written a gripping screenplay that pays homage to Len Deighton's novel.
The Superman Returns actress will play an American journalist named Barbara Barga in SS-gb, a five-parter from Spectre writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
Jason Flemyng, James Cosmo, Aneurin Barnard, Maeve Dermody and Rainer Bock will also appear in the series, directed by Philipp Kadelbach.
Based on Len Deighton's alternate history novel of the same name, SS-gb takes place in Nazi-occupied London and follows British detective Douglas Archer (Riley) investigating a black market murder.
However, Archer finds himself dragged into a much darker and treacherous world, with extremely high stakes.
"Archer is a compelling and complex character," said Riley. "He is a good guy struggling to reconcile his job as a policeman within the repressive Nazi machine.
"Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have written a gripping screenplay that pays homage to Len Deighton's novel.
- 10/7/2015
- Digital Spy
Exclusive– Sam Riley is in talks to star in SS:gb, the Len Deighton adaptation that James Bond scribes Neil Purvis and Robert Wade are writing. No deal has been set yet but this is a plum role in what is fast gearing up to be a prestige project. German director Philipp Kadelbach, who won plaudits and numerous awards including the International Emmy for German World War 2 mini-series Generation War, is attached to direct. The project, which is being exec produced by Sid…...
- 8/7/2015
- Deadline TV
Sam Riley ("Maleficent," "Control") is in talks to star in a BBC film adaptation of acclaimed espionage thriller author Len Deighton's "SS-gb" which James Bond film series regular scribes Neil Purvis and Robert Wade are writing.
The story is set in a UK conquered and occupied by Germany during World War II. Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer, a British homicide detective assigned to Scotland Yard, is called in to investigate a murder of a well-dressed man.
To his surprise, the case draws the attention of the highest levels of the German government and he finds himself in the middle of a struggle between powerful forces.
Award-winning German director Philipp Kadelbach ("Generation War") is attached to direct the prestige project for the Beeb which Patrick Schweitzer will produce. Shooting begins this Fall.
Deighton penned several notable period spy thriller novels including the "Hook, Line and Sinker," "Faith, Hope and Charity"" and "Game,...
The story is set in a UK conquered and occupied by Germany during World War II. Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer, a British homicide detective assigned to Scotland Yard, is called in to investigate a murder of a well-dressed man.
To his surprise, the case draws the attention of the highest levels of the German government and he finds himself in the middle of a struggle between powerful forces.
Award-winning German director Philipp Kadelbach ("Generation War") is attached to direct the prestige project for the Beeb which Patrick Schweitzer will produce. Shooting begins this Fall.
Deighton penned several notable period spy thriller novels including the "Hook, Line and Sinker," "Faith, Hope and Charity"" and "Game,...
- 8/7/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Imperium author Christian Kracht, Finsterworld director Frauke Finsterwalder with Anne-Katrin Titze
Into my conversations with Uschi Reich, producer of Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters at the New York Film Festival, The Sleepwalker's Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, director of the upcoming The Childhood Of A Leader, starring Bérénice Bejo, Liam Cunningham, Stacy Martin, Sophie Curtis and Robert Pattinson (who stars with Dane DeHaan and Ben Kingsley in Anton Corbijn's Life), Christian Kracht's novel, Imperium, sailed in.
While reading his South Sea adventure from the age of empire, I envisioned it as a film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the third link to The Master and the Thomas Pynchon adaptation, Inherent Vice.
Christian Kracht's Imperium: A Fiction Of The South Seas (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Jan Ole Gerster, the director of A Coffee In Berlin (Oh Boy!) and its star Tom Schilling (from Philipp Kadelbach's Generation...
Into my conversations with Uschi Reich, producer of Dominik Graf's Beloved Sisters at the New York Film Festival, The Sleepwalker's Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, director of the upcoming The Childhood Of A Leader, starring Bérénice Bejo, Liam Cunningham, Stacy Martin, Sophie Curtis and Robert Pattinson (who stars with Dane DeHaan and Ben Kingsley in Anton Corbijn's Life), Christian Kracht's novel, Imperium, sailed in.
While reading his South Sea adventure from the age of empire, I envisioned it as a film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the third link to The Master and the Thomas Pynchon adaptation, Inherent Vice.
Christian Kracht's Imperium: A Fiction Of The South Seas (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Jan Ole Gerster, the director of A Coffee In Berlin (Oh Boy!) and its star Tom Schilling (from Philipp Kadelbach's Generation...
- 7/13/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In the year that we commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, the BBC have looked beyond the devastation of this earlier conflict to World War II, and the war on the Eastern Front with original German drama series Generation War.
In the swirling chaos of the World War, Generation War crafts a tragic and intimate story of the lives of five friends who are impacted by the events of the German invasion of Russia.
For part two of our Generation War special feature, HeyUGuys had the privilege to speak with producer Benjamin Benedict who discussed with us the birth of the series from an idea between two men, the importance of history and the role of storytelling in bringing history to life as well as reflecting on the evolving relationship between television and film. Read our interview with Volker Bruch here.
But before the interview got underway it...
In the swirling chaos of the World War, Generation War crafts a tragic and intimate story of the lives of five friends who are impacted by the events of the German invasion of Russia.
For part two of our Generation War special feature, HeyUGuys had the privilege to speak with producer Benjamin Benedict who discussed with us the birth of the series from an idea between two men, the importance of history and the role of storytelling in bringing history to life as well as reflecting on the evolving relationship between television and film. Read our interview with Volker Bruch here.
But before the interview got underway it...
- 5/12/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Oliver Mahrdt, Andrew Nagorski, Ingrid Scheib-Rothbart, with moderator Anne-Katrin Titze on Generation War Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Philipp Kadelbach's Generation War, written by Stefan Kolditz, and produced by Nico Hofmann for the Zdf was first shown on German and Austrian television in 2013 on the evenings of March 17, 18 and 20, in 90 minute episodes as a three-part miniseries. It garnered more than 7 million viewers. The film stars Volker Bruch, Tom Schilling, Katharina Schüttler, Miriam Stein and Ludwig Trepte as five friends in Berlin, June 1941 whom we follow throughout the war.
Two brothers, Wilhelm and Friedhelm are Wehrmacht soldiers on the Eastern Front. Charlotte becomes an army nurse. Greta is an aspiring singer involved with Viktor, a tailor who is Jewish, escapes deportation and joins Polish partisans. The performances are outstanding, the battle scenes filmed by cinematographer David Slama and edited by Bernd Schlegel pull you in and yet the plot choices remain controversial.
Philipp Kadelbach's Generation War, written by Stefan Kolditz, and produced by Nico Hofmann for the Zdf was first shown on German and Austrian television in 2013 on the evenings of March 17, 18 and 20, in 90 minute episodes as a three-part miniseries. It garnered more than 7 million viewers. The film stars Volker Bruch, Tom Schilling, Katharina Schüttler, Miriam Stein and Ludwig Trepte as five friends in Berlin, June 1941 whom we follow throughout the war.
Two brothers, Wilhelm and Friedhelm are Wehrmacht soldiers on the Eastern Front. Charlotte becomes an army nurse. Greta is an aspiring singer involved with Viktor, a tailor who is Jewish, escapes deportation and joins Polish partisans. The performances are outstanding, the battle scenes filmed by cinematographer David Slama and edited by Bernd Schlegel pull you in and yet the plot choices remain controversial.
- 1/29/2014
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A pair of trailers for two World War II films have arrived, the first is actually a three-part miniseries titled Generation War, which has been described as "Germany's 'Band of Brothers'" and will be released theatrically by Music Box Films on January 15, though only at New York's IFC Center and I doubt it will be expanding much further. Set in Berlin 1941, the miniseries centers on five friends eager to become heroes in the German army only to later find their lives irrevocably damaged after years of bloodshed. Directed by Philipp Kadelbach, the film stars Volker Bruch, Tom Schilling, Katharina Schuttler, Ludwig Trepte and Miriam Stein. Here's the trailer. yt id ="XwH35_w1oZY" width="610" Next we have Stalingrad from director Fedor Bondarchuk. The film is a 3D action film that recently stormed the Chinese box office to the tune of $8.3 million during its opening weekend and has been submitted by...
- 11/14/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
A+E Networks UK’s History channel has set details of its upcoming local version of Pawn Stars. The show will focus on Regal Pawn, a shop near Chester, England. The eight-part series will star Regal’s owner Mark Manning, (aka Big Mark), his daughter Vicki, his best friend Little Mark and Little Mark’s son, Marco. The UK will be the first market to make its own version of the series that will feature distinctly British items. The show airs in the UK this fall and is produced by Leftfield Pictures, the production company behind the original U.S. series which has increased in popularity in Britain since it debuted in 2010. Music Box has taken U.S. rights on Beta Film’s Generation War, a six-hour miniseries about the fate of young men and women who fought in World War II. The Band Of Brothers-like story is from Zdf,...
- 4/9/2013
- by NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
- Deadline TV
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