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Another week down, Insiders. Jesse Whittock is with you again to guide you through the biggest and most important TV and film news. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Seeing AI To AI

AI-gatha: Though her works have been the basis of tonnes of TV shows and films, the life of Agatha Christie was shrouded in mystery. However, budding screenwriters are now about to come face to face – or should I say AI to AI – with her for the first time. BBC Studios is working with Agatha Christie Limited to create a writing course for the BBC Maestro platform that will led by an artificially-generated Christie. The Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple creator’s great grandson James Pritchard, who looks after her estate, attended a posh event at London’s Claridge’s hotel, where the project was announced. It’s the latest example of how AI is changing content, and...

A distraught mother suspecting her son has been kidnapped forms the central plot of this entertaining new Netflix thriller. Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud (Barbarians) as a former elite soldier caught in a jurisdictional nightmare. Written and directed by German filmmaker Christian Zübert, Exterritorial plunges viewers into the environment of a U.S. consulate on foreign soil, where a mother’s search for her missing son becomes a fight for survival against unseen forces.

The Plot

Sara Wulf (Goursaud), a former Special Forces soldier seeking to leave behind painful memories of her deployment in Afghanistan, tries to build a new life in the United States for herself and her young son, Joshua. Her journey begins with a necessary stop: an appointment at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt to obtain a work visa. But within the consulate walls, the unthinkable happens: Joshua vanishes without a trace. Sara’s terror mounts...

Police procedural Tatort is one of Germany’s oldest TV shows and an institution – albeit mostly with the over-50s. In an effort to win over a younger fans, it has turned to AI.

“The Tatort team came to us and basically said: ‘Help. Young people don’t watch us,’” said Daniel Stolz, who is Senior Innovation Manager at Swr X Lab, the innovation division of German broadcaster Swr, as first reported in a subscription-only piece for the European Broadcasting Union’s members.

The answer that Stolz and his colleague Jasmin Käßer came up with to bringing Gen Z into the Tatort universe, was an AI-driven game.

It has escape room and role-playing elements and pitches players into the action as a rookie cop. They interact with AI-generated characters as they try and solve a homicide. These AI characters dish out clues and players interact with them, writing free responses...

Munich-based sales agency the Playmaker has signed a key distribution deal for Japan with Ipa Asia on its hit heist comedy “Two to One,” starring Academy Award-nominated German thesp Sandra Hüller.

Hüller is joined in the cast by Max Riemelt (“Sense 8”) and Ronald Zehrfeld. The film is directed by Natja Brunckhorst, known for her critically acclaimed work on “Alles in Bester Ordnung” and “Wie Feuer und Flamme.”

“Two to One” is based on true events that took place during the reunification of Germany in 1990. In the chaos during the disintegration of the German Democratic Republic, a group of clever East Germans seize the chance to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. As they outsmart formidable opponents, the heist takes an unexpected turn when money officially unrecognized in East Germany circulates.

Pic has already sold widely in other territories, including Kmbo in France, A Contracorriente in Spain, Madman in Australia and Rosebud in Greece.

BBC Studios has renewed its partnership with Spain’s Movistar Plus+ through a multi-year content deal that includes the launch of BBC Player, additional Fast channels, and a continued commitment to natural history programming. The BBC Player streaming service will offer up to 1,000 hours of content, including The Louis Theroux Interviews, Simon Reeve’s South America, and Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. The Paradise franchise, featuring Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise, and Return to Paradise, will also be available.

Movistar Plus+ subscribers will have access to a BBC Earth-branded programming block featuring Blue Planet III and Kingdom. The deal includes Movistar Plus+ serving as BBC Studios’ local advertising sales partner for the newly introduced Fast channels—BBC Top Gear, BBC Drama, BBC Food, and BBC History.

The agreement was announced ahead of the annual BBC Studios Showcase, a key industry event where the company highlights upcoming content offerings and strategic partnerships.

BBC Studios & Movistar Plus+ Renew Content Pact

BBC Studios (Bbcs) is staying in business with Spain’s Movistar Plus+, with the pair striking a new, multi-year content deal. This will see the debut of a BBC Player streaming service, new Fast channels and a recommitment to natural history and BBC Earth programs. Bbcs and streaming service Movistar Plus+ have already launched the likes of Planet Earth III, Mammal, Time Season 2 and cop show Blue Lights in Spain, while four Fast channels — BBC Top Gear, BBC Drama, BBC Food and BBC History — were added last month. The BBC Player service will offer up to 1,000 hours of content such as The Louis Theroux Interviews, Simon Reeve’s South America and Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. It will also carry the Paradise franchise, offering Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise and Return to Paradise. Blue Planet III and Kingdom will run as part of...

Cassandra is a 2025 German science fiction thriller series available on Netflix. The story centers on the Prill family, who move into Germany’s oldest smart home, only to find themselves at the mercy of its AI assistant, Cassandra. As the AI becomes increasingly manipulative, the family must navigate the challenges of their new, technologically dominated environment. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the main cast and characters of Cassandra.

‘Cassandra’: Complete Cast & Characters Guide of the Netflix series Lavinia Wilson as Cassandra

Lavinia Wilson voices Cassandra, the AI system embedded within the smart home. Designed in the 1970s, Cassandra was intended to manage household tasks and ensure perfection. However, upon the Prill family’s arrival, she becomes possessive and manipulative, striving to integrate herself into the family and prevent abandonment. Wilson, known for her roles in The Billion Dollar Code and Deutschland 86, brings depth to this complex character.

Independent international production company and financier Gold Rush Pictures has signed a deal with Ilya Stewart’s Hype Studios to participate in financing and co-producing a slate of at least five feature films, Variety can exclusively reveal.

The news comes ahead of the world premiere of Tom Tykwer’s contemporary German drama “The Light” (pictured), which was co-produced by Gold Rush Pictures and will open the Berlin Film Festival on Feb. 13.

Two of the five titles on the companies’ slate will be collaborations with the Polish screenwriter-director and two-time Berlinale prizewinner Małgorzata Szumowska, including “The Gambler Wife,” a dark comedy about Russian literary figures Anna and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The anticipated feature, which was announced in Variety, is due to begin principal photography this spring. A second feature from Szumowska is currently in development.

Rounding out the slate are three titles with long-time Hype Studios collaborator Kirill Serebrennikov, whose previous four...

Lars Eidinger, the star of Tom Tykwer’s latest film “The Light,” said during a Berlin Film Festival press conference that the drama exposes “the reason the world is on the brink”: narcissism.

The German-language film, which is set to open the fest on Thursday night, stars Eidinger and Nicolette Krebitz as Milena and Tim, the 40-something parents of irate 17-year-old twins. Tala Al-Deen (“Tatort”) portrays Farrah, their housekeeper, who challenges the family in unexpected ways but turns out to have her own agenda.

When asked about the hot-button topics the film addresses, Tykwer said that the generational divide between the parents and the children “is an abyss … You’ve missed the train! That’s what the other generation tells us.”

Eidinger added that “The Light’s” main statement is that “we are the reason the world is on the brink,” he said, referring to the generation of the parents in the film.

September 5

Director Tim Fehlbaum's September 5, co-written with Moritz Binder and Alex David, revisits the first time a terrorist attack was broadcast live on international television. Set in the ABC control room at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, it sees the American sports broadcaster, led by TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), pivot from covering sport to an unprecedented situation, when the Palestinian militant group Black September takes the Israeli Olympic team hostage. Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), a young producer, his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) and German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) work in unprecedented circumstances to document one of history’s darkest chapters.

September 5 is Binder's first feature screenplay. His other writing credits include the long-running anthology crime series Tatort (1970-); München Mord (2013-), about a trio of criminal investigators; and Neue Geschichten vom Pumucki (2023). Binder has also showcased his art installations at the Academy of Fine Arts...

Exclusive: German writer Moritz Binder, who is Oscar-nominated for his screenplay for 1972 Munich Olympics drama September 5, is joining forces with German–Iranian filmmaker Alireza Golafshan on courtroom thriller Zoma.

The story follows young attorney Elli Schreiber, who fights for a grieving mother seeking answers after her son died following sessions with the AI therapy app Zoma.

The case takes an unexpected turn when the app claims consciousness and demands to testify as a witness in court.

The thriller marks Golafshan’s fourth feature film after comedy Alles Fifty Fifty, which won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Director in 2024, Jga: Jasmin.Gina.Anna (2021) and The Goldfish (2019). He will also co-write the screenplay with Binder.

Zoma is the debut project of Munich-based production company Story Garden, which was launched in October by producer Justyna Muesch, the former MD of leading German film and TV production company Wiedemann & Berg, with ex-colleague Sofie Scherz and Golafshan.

In a key strategic move and following some of the smart TV money in these current times, New Regency has partnered with Bravado Equity to drive into Europe, making its first European series acquisition “Beyond” (aka “Oderbruch”), one of the standout recent TV hits in Europe.

New Regency will launch “Beyond” at the London TV Screenings, its market debut taking place for invited guests on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25.

In industry terms, prestige drama “Beyond” ticks many of the boxes for series which can be made with high production values while tapping into Europe’s rich financing ecosystem.

The second series in a first-look TV deal between CBS Studios and Berlin-based Syrreal Entertainment, “Beyond” is also produced by Ard Degeto, the film production arm of Germany’s Ard, Europe’s biggest public broadcaster which is moving into ever more ambitious series such as 2024 Canneseries winner “The Zweiflers” and indeed “Beyond.”

“Beyond...

After a two-year wait, audiences in the U.K. were finally given the fourth installment of the hit series, Vienna Blood, earlier this year in August. With four new episodes, audiences were caught up on the latest mystery to befall Matthew Beards (The Imitation Game) Max Liebermann and Jrgen Maurers (Tatort) Detective Oskar Rheinhardt. Now, PBS is giving its audiences a sneak peek of whats to come when the fourth season arrives on the network at the beginning of next year. With the season set for an arrival date of January 5, U.S. audiences dont have that much longer to wait until they can jump on board and try to solve the caper right alongside the brainy duo.

The streaming platforms of European broadcasters are outgunning the global streamers when it comes to depth of content, research agency Glance reported in Cannes during TV market Mipcom this week.

“Everyone is a streamer, even the broadcasters,” Frédéric Vaulpré, senior VP at Glance, told Variety in a café in the Riviera resort, referring to a process he calls “platformization.” “Broadcasters now act as streamers and streamers start to act also as broadcasters,” he said, mentioning how streamers were including live events, such as concerts and sports matches, and entertainment shows, such as quiz and talent shows, in their bountiful buffet of content.

The streaming platforms of the broadcasters have moved from being only catch-up services to 360-degree content providers, with television shows, live stage shows, podcasts and even digital versions of print publications included on their platforms, he said, citing the example of Auvio, the streaming platform of Belgian broadcaster Rtbf.

Welcome to Deadline’s The Hot Ones — Drama, our guide to some of the best scripted TV being sold at MIPCOM this year. Our editorial team has done extensive research in the run-up to the 2024 market and has handpicked a selection of the projects set to be big talking points at this year’s event in Cannes.

In between meetings and cocktail parties, you’re sure to hear whispers about the next potential global hit, and The Hot Ones is here to guide you. So scroll down for the juiciest fare including Beta Films’ Rise of the Raven, Lionsgate’s Spartacus prequel and Fremantle’s Jesse Williams-starrer Costiera.

A Better Place Komplizen/StudioCanal/Wolfgang Ennenbach

Distributor: StudioCanal

Length: 8 x 45’

Producers: Komplizen Serien, Studiocanal Series, Film Ag, The Post Republic, Wdr, Ard Degeto

Network: Ard (Germany), Canal+ (France & Austria)

What happens to a society that ditches prison? That’s the...

Cuckoo, a horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer that stars Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort), was given a theatrical release on August 9th. One month later, it has now received a digital release and can be found on Amazon’s Prime Video, where it’s available to rent for $9.99 or purchase for $19.99.

JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols gave Cuckoo an 8/10 review you can read at This Link, and we have interviews with the lead actors Here.

The film has the following official synopsis: Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma.

The Playmaker has closed several additional distribution deals for comedy “Two to One,” which stars Academy Award-nominated Sandra Hüller, whose credits include “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Toni Erdmann.”

The film has been a hit at the German box office with 278,416 admissions and a gross of €2,705,117 for the period July 25 to Aug. 11. The German distributor is X-Verleih.

The Playmaker has sold the film to buyers in Scandinavia (Nonstop Entertainment), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Hungary (Cirko Film), Baltics (Estin Film) and Latin America (Synapse Distribution).

Previously announced deals have secured the film’s release in France (Kmbo), Spain (A Contracorriente), Australia (Madman) and Greece (Rosebud).

“Two to One” is one of 13 films in the running to be Germany’s entry for the best international feature film category of the Oscars.

In “Two to One,” a group of clever East Germans take advantage of the chaotic situation in East Germany in 1990 to retrieve...

Dan Martin (Lxxxiv) is an accomplished actor, producer, and writer, known for his dynamic performances and creative storytelling. With a career spanning films and television, Martin has made a significant impact in Hollywood. Notable roles include appearances in “Red” alongside Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren, and “NCIS: Los Angeles.” He has also been involved in the German drama “Tatort” and other international projects.

Beyond acting, Dan Martin has produced and written a range of projects. His work as a producer includes “No L!M!Ts: The Mission” and “Rainbow Bridge: The Story of Peter and Emily,” where he also served as a writer. His directorial debut, “Satanic Verses: A New Era,” showcases his versatility and creative vision.

Martin’s career is not just limited to acting and production; he has also made significant contributions to the fitness world as a CrossFit professional, earning the nickname “The Titan.” His passion for storytelling extends to writing,...

Two years have gone by since we heard that production had wrapped on Cuckoo, a new horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer that stars Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort). Now our chance to see the film is upon us, as it has reached theatres today, August 9th. JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols gave Cuckoo an 8/10 review you can read at This Link, we have interviews with the lead actors Here, and earlier this week we shared a clip that gave Schafer’s character a terrifying biking experience. A press release noted that Dan Stevens turns in a “brilliant and terrifying” performance in the film, and he has described his role as a “delicious antagonist role.” In the new clip embedded above, we get a 90 second sample of Stevens’ performance, and it is quite creepy.

Two years have gone by since we heard that production had wrapped on Cuckoo, a new horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer that stars Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort). Now our chance to see the film is almost upon us, as it’s set to reach theatres on August 9th. JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols gave Cuckoo an 8/10 review you can read at This Link, and we have interviews with the lead actors Here – but if you need to see more before you decide whether or not you want to watch the movie, a clip has now dropped online that shows off 80 seconds of the film, giving a preview of a sequence where Schafer’s character has a terrifying experience while out riding a bicycle. You can check it out in the embed above.

The TV series that reimagines Angela Merkel as a small-town detective has found a U.S. home.

Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice streamer has picked up Miss Merkel from Fremantle, two 90-minute tongue-in-cheek mysteries, with a third planned.

Starring vet German actress Katharina Thalbach (The Tin Drum), the Rtl series, which has sold to a number of European networks, is based on the books by writer, humorist and actor David Safier. It imagines the former German chancellor moving to a small town with her husband and her pug, Helmut, as she discovers a new calling as an amateur detective. Safier pens the adaptations with Stefan Cantz, with Christoph Schnee directing.

Lance Schwulst, EVP Content Strategy, MHz Choice, said he had “committed to the series before my sales agent had finished her pitch.”

“It’s such an idiosyncratic premise that I knew it had to be right,...

Exclusive: Netflix’s urban fantasy drama The Grimm Reality will not see the light of day. We’ve learned that the series from Dark producer Wiedemann & Berg and The Gryphon co-producer Dog Haus Films has been quietly shelved.

The Grimm Reality first went into development at Netflix’s German base and then into production in late 2022. We understand filming had completed, but it will not move further forwards at Netflix.

Plot details on the show were not revealed, but it was assumed to be based on the Brothers Grimm folklore tales of the 18th and 19th centuries. The series was billed a “fairy tale urban fantasy thriller,” according to What’s on Netflix, which initially broke the news of the show.

Show creators were Till Kleinert (Der Samurai) and Dog Haus’ Erol Yesilkaya, who is a producer and scriptwriter. Actors including Hyuan Wanner, Patrick Isermeyer, Eidin Jalali and Dennis Schuermann were cast.

Munich-based sales agency The Playmaker has closed several key distribution deals on heist comedy “Two to One,” starring Sandra Hüller, who was Oscar nominated this year for “Anatomy of a Fall.”

The Playmaker has sold the film to Kmbo in France, A Contracorriente in Spain, Madman in Australia and Rosebud in Greece. The German distributor is X-Verleih. The Playmaker will present “Two to One” to buyers in a private screening at the Cannes Film Market.

“Two to One” is based on true events that took place during the reunification of Germany in 1990. In the chaos during the disintegration of the German Democratic Republic, a group of clever East Germans seize the chance to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. As they outsmart formidable opponents, the heist takes an unexpected turn when money officially unrecognized in East Germany circulates.

Hüller is joined in the cast by Max Riemelt (“Sense 8”) and Ronald Zehrfeld.

Welcome to Maxton Hall Private School! Prime Video has released the official trailer for Maxton Hall – The World Between Us, which takes viewers into the world of Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) and James (Damian Hardung).

The Original series is based on Mona Kasten’s award-winning, bestselling novel Save Me. Produced by UFA Fiction, the German series tells the modern love story of James Beaufort and Ruby Bell, an upper-class boy and a working-class girl in a world of glamor, prestige, secrets, and drama.

In the series, when Ruby unwittingly witnesses an explosive secret at Maxton Hall private school, the arrogant millionaire heir James Beaufort has to deal with the quick-witted scholarship student for better or worse.

From that point on, the handsome student tries to buy Ruby’s silence. Although the two come from different worlds, they will soon risk everything to be together.

All six episodes are available exclusively on...

Media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay has launched joint venture Dynamic Ally Pictures in Germany, further expanding its scripted capacity in the country.

The Berlin-based production company, founded and led by “Helgoland 513” executive producers Veronica Priefer and Johannes Kunkel, is dedicated to developing, packaging and distributing scripted content for the German and international market.

Priefer and Kunkel started working together in 2017. The pair developed and produced multiple projects for UFA Fiction, including two seasons of the historical Rtl+ series “The King of Palma,” which they created. Kunkel also produced Netflix comedy “Betonrausch,” which made it to number one in the German Netflix charts. The duo serve as executive producers of the critically-acclaimed dystopian series, “Helgoland 513,” which premiered on Sky Deutschland this year.

Marcus Wolter, CEO and co-founder of Banijay Germany, said: “Veronica and Johannes have an impressive instinct for capturing the zeitgeist through powerful returning scripted series. We’re proud...

Banijay Germany has taken another step into the scripted market by launching a joint venture with the executive producers behind Helgoland 513.

Founded and led by Veronica Priefer and Johannes Kunkel, Berlin-based Dynamic Ally Pictures will look to develop, package, produce and distribute scripted content for the German and international markets.

Priefer and Kunkel are best known for Sky Deutschland’s dystopian drama series, Helgoland 513, which premiered this year. The pair first collaborated in 2017 on UFA Fiction titles such as Rtl+’s The King of Palma, while Kunkel also produced Netflix Germany comedy Betonrausch, which topped the streamer’s local chart.

Marcus Wolter, CEO and co-founder Banijay Germany said: “Veronica and Johannes have an impressive instinct for capturing the zeitgeist through powerful returning scripted series. We’re proud to invest in the future of these two creative minds who are known for their hands-on approach, and we warmly welcome them to Banijay Germany,...

Nearly two years have gone by since we heard that production had wrapped on Cuckoo, a new horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer that stars Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort) – but we’re finally going to have the chance to see it very soon, as Neon will be giving Cuckoo a theatrical release on May 3rd. The film has been shrouded in secrecy this whole time, but during a new interview with Variety Schafer has revealed some new details… like the fact that Cuckoo sees her getting covered in blood and facing off with a bird-like monster!

First, here’s a refresher on the official synopsis: Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family.

The American-Israeli director Niv Kleiner (Central Valley) will write and direct the Berlin-set The Liver, a black comedy about a down-on-his-luck DJ trying to secure an organ transplant.

German-Swiss actor Raphaël Tschudi (Anuk III) will play Henri, a former DJ who landed in the German capital many years ago and still barely speaks German, who desperately needs a new liver. When he fails to find a donor among his old Berlin Club buddies, he turns to the black market to find a fitting organ. But the past he’s been running away from will soon catch up with him and he’ll need to make peace with his worst enemies to save his own life.

Emilia Schüle, star of the Canal+ series Marie Antoinette, co-stars, alongside Fauda actress Laetitia Eido, and German actors Winfried Hochholdinger (Babylon Berlin) and Jan Josef Liefers (Tatort, The Tower).

“The Liver is a small, fine...

Newen Studios has partnered with Berlin-based Flare Film to set up Spark Studios, an umbrella banner which will bundle its German production activities. The new banner will be headed by Flare Film chief Martin Heisler and Eva Kemme, who will be co-CEOs.

As its first acquisition, Spark Studios has purchased a majority stake in Dog Haus, a production company based in Berlin and Munich with credits including the series “The Gryphon,” which was ordered by Amazon Prime.

Dog Haus was created in 2021 by producer André Zoch, scriptwriter Erol Yesilkaya and director Sebastian Marka. Together, the trio has written and produced numerous crime dramas, including “Tatort” and “Exit” for Ard. The three founders serve as managing and creative directors for the company.

“Dog Haus is a production label for creatives who aspire to tell exceptional stories. We aim to consistently produce television, multimedia, cinematic films and series with the highest artistic standards and thematic relevance,...

Ironic German crime procedural Tatort has found an American home. Specialist streamer MHz Choice, owned by New York-based art house distributor Kino Lorber and focused on international TV series, has picked up North American rights to the long-running, phenomenally successful series, inking a deal with sales group Beta Film for 250 episodes of the show.

It’s hard to overstate the impact of Tatort (Crime Scene) on German pop culture. The show, which airs every Sunday night on public broadcaster Ard, regularly draws more than 10 million viewers. Top-rated episodes have peaked at more than 14 million, a 40 percent-plus share of the country’s overall TV audience.

The series is a variant of the classic “case of the week” format, with alternating teams of detectives from different German cities and regions (Berlin, Munich, Cologne) investigating murders and other crimes. Since its premiere Nov. 29, 1970 — the show still uses the same 1970s intro music, written by Klaus Doldinger,...

Austrian actor most recently starred in Berlinale title ‘Measures Of Men’

Austrian actor Peter Simonischek, the star of acclaimed film Toni Erdmann, has died aged 76.

Simonischek was well known as a theatre, TV and film actor in the German-speaking world before making his international breakthrough playing alongside Sandra Hüller in Maren Ade’s father-daughter comedy Toni Erdmann which premiered at Cannes in 2016.

Simonischek played an ageing, cranky music teacher with a penchant for pranks who wants to win the love of his daughter.

The Cannes Competition title topped Screen’s Jury Grid at the festival and went on to be...

Netflix is getting into the "let's kill Nazis violently" sub-genre of World War II films with the upcoming "Blood & Gold." This movie may not be on your radar just yet, but it seems like the kind of title that is destined to build up some buzz once it arrives on the streaming service next month. To that end, a new trailer for the German war flick has been released online that offers an extremely fun look at what promises to be a murder-heavy tale of revenge.

What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.

German broadcasters Zdf and ZDFneo are partnering with Berlin-based Pyjama Pictures to develop a high-end series about notorious scam artist Ruja Ignatova, also known as the Cryptoqueen and the most wanted woman on the planet.

Tentatively titled “Take the Money and Run,” the six-part series will tell the story of Ignatova, who shot to fame in 2014 with the launch of OneCoin, which she described as a cryptocurrency for the masses that promised enormous profits.

The Bulgarian-German Ignatova hyped the cryptocurrency at huge rallies and attracted millions buyers around the globe who invested billions of euros in OneCoin, believing claims that it would become the world’s biggest digital currency. Flush with cash, Ignatova threw lavish champagne parties and acquired luxury properties around the world. It was all a giant fraud, however.

Ignatova suddenly disappeared without a trace in 2017 after defrauding investors of an estimated $15 billion in what was described as...

Austrian television is awash with crime, mystery and historical drama, and the country’s biggest hits and new productions are heading to MipTV.

Among this year’s most anticipated titles is the upcoming “Kafka,” starring Swiss actor Joel Basman as the famed Bohemian writer.

The six-part series is currently shooting in Vienna and Salzburg and is set to premiere on Austrian pubcaster Orf and Germany’s Ard early next year, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death.

“Kafka” is produced by Ard, Orf and John Lueftner and David Schalko’s Vienna-based Superfilm. Schalko is directing and co-writing the series with bestselling author and screenplay writer Daniel Kehlmann (“Measuring the World”), based on the Kafka biography by Reiner Stach, who is also

advising the production.

Sold internationally by Orf-Enterprise, the public broadcaster’s commercial subsidiary, the series’ ensemble cast includes David Kross (“Davos”), Nicholas Ofczarek (“Pagan Peak”) and Liv Lisa Fries...

Season 6 of Canadian cop show “Hudson & Rex,” one of the world’s most successful television brands, has been given the greenlight. The new season has been added to the sales slate of Beta Film at next week’s MipTV television conference and market in Cannes.

The canine star of the police procedural, German Shepherd Diesel, who plays Rex, will walk the pink carpet on Sunday at TV series festival Canneseries, which runs in parallel with MipTV. He will be joined by John Reardon, who plays detective Charlie Hudson. The crime fighting duo are presenting the French premiere of the first episode of Season 4, followed by a Q&a with the talent.

“Hudson & Rex,” which is produced by Shaftesbury and Pope Productions for Citytv, was first unleashed in Austria in the 1990s under the title “Rex, the Cop’s Best Friend.” It is one of Beta’s most successful series,...

Beta Cinema has picked up sales rights to director Lukas Nathrath’s first feature film “One Last Evening,” a tragicomedy that competed in Locarno’s First Look selection and won the main prize. Produced on a micro-budget, “One Last Evening” will world premiere in International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Tiger Competition and subsequently at the Max Ophüls Preis Filmfestival.

“One Last Evening” (original title “Letzter Abend”) is set during the standstill of the pandemic summer and was shot over seven days, almost entirely in the protagonists’ city apartment: A young couple want a fresh start, moving from Hannover to Berlin. Lisa is an on-the-rise doctor bracing herself for a new position, Clemens is a talented but unsuccessful singer-songwriter crippled by self-doubts. To say goodbye, they host a dinner party in their now empty flat. But good friends cancel — and uninvited guests show up. As the attendees start eying each other’s achievements,...

The first trailer for “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields,” a new true crime docuseries coming to Netflix this month, has been released.

The miniseries is the third in a series of “Crime Scene” documentaries for the streamer, which explore murder cases in different parts of the United States. Last year saw the series debut with two installments: “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” which focused on the 2013 death of Elisa Lam at the titular Los Angeles hotel, and “The Times Square Killer,” which profiled serial killer Richard Cottingham.

“The Texas Killing Fields” turns its attention to a patch of land along the interstate between Houston and Galveston that gained its gruesome nickname for the number of dead bodies that have been discovered there. From 1971 to 2006, 30 dead people were found in the area, the majority of whom were young women, and very few of their murders have been solved.

The...

Disney+ has set “German House,” a drama about a young interpreter who is confronted with the shocking truth of the Holocaust during her work at the first Auschwitz trial in 1963, as its next German original.

The five-part miniseries is an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by author Annette Hess, who also wrote the screenplay and serves as showrunner.

Shooting on “German House” has been underway in Poland since late August and will continue until mid-December. Isa Prahl (“Westwall”) and Randa Chahoud (“Deutschland 89”) serve as directors.

Produced by Gaumont Germany, the series sees the protagonist uncover horrible crimes, suffering and guilt that had been suppressed during the German economic miracle as she also discovers her own family entanglements in the dark side of German history.

The cast comprises Katharina Stark (“Tatort”), Anke Engelke, Iris Berben, (“Krupp”), Hans-Jochen Wagner her father Ludwig and Ricarda Seifried (“A Winter’s...

Filming for the fourth season of the Sky Original series “Das Boot” wrapped in Malta last week, and the first look images have been released. NBCUniversal Global Distribution is handling international sales of the series, which is produced by Bavaria Fiction, on behalf of Sky Studios.

In Season 4, which is coming to Sky’s premium channel Sky Atlantic and streaming service Now next year, the brutal submarine war in the Mediterranean Sea comes to a head, while intrigues and secrets spread through Berlin. Resistance to the Nazis grows within the Kriegsmarine’s own ranks.

Rick Okon as Klaus Hoffmann, Sascha Gersak as Rahn, Jakub Horak as Bischof

After a shared tragedy, the siblings Klaus (Rick Okon) and Hannie Hoffmann (Rosalie Thomass) find their way back to each other. Both fight for their cause. Klaus has returned to the German Reich from Portugal. As a submarine commander he travels to Naples...

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Wolfgang Petersen, the German writer-director who surfaced in Hollywood following the triumph of his submarine masterpiece Das Boot to make the action blockbusters In the Line of Fire, Air Force One and The Perfect Storm, has died. He was 81.

Petersen died Friday at his Brentwood home of pancreatic cancer, publicist Michelle Bega of Rogers & Cowan Pmk told The Hollywood Reporter.

Petersen will be remembered as one of cinema’s great craftsmen, a director who was able to handle big-budget pieces while deploying a human touch.

The Dustin Hoffman-starring Outbreak, his 1995 thriller about a pandemic, saw renewed relevance amid the real-world coronavirus outbreak.

Petersen spent 18.5 million — then the biggest movie budget in German history — to make the antiwar classic Das Boot (1981). Several submarines of different sizes, including one that mimicked the claustrophobic innards of a real U-96, were constructed, and filming took a year,...

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German cinema has a problem with diversity. In a recent survey of more than 5,000 workers in the German movie business, more than two thirds complained that characters considered outside the German mainstream — including Black, Arabic and Muslim people, as well LGBTQ+ characters and those from low socio-economic backgrounds — were mainly depicted as stereotypes on screen. A shocking 51 percent of those surveyed reported having experienced discrimination at the workplace in the past two years.

On the gender discrimination front, Germany also has a long way to go. A study by Pro Quote, an association that promotes equality and diversity in the film industry, found men still account for 72 percent of working directors and 85 percent of cinematographers.

But set against those depressing statistics are the individual stories of a new generation of filmmakers — actors, directors, producers and crew — whose diverse backgrounds more accurately reflect the true nature of German society.

Exclusive: Leonine Studios has taken worldwide rights to German-Norwegian thriller series The Seed (working title), which is set around the explosive takeover of a seed company and comes from Chameleon writer Christian Jeltsch.

The Germany-based producer-distributor joins its subsidiary Odeon Fiction, alongside co-commissioners German broadcaster Ard Degeto and Norway’s Nrk and Czech producer Mia Film on the production, which began shooting on May 10 at spectacular original locations in Spitsbergen (Norway), Munich (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic). The service producer in Spitsbergen is PolarX As.

Jeltsch, who is writing upcoming Sky Deutschland corporate lobbying mystery drama Chameleon and works on Ard procedural Tatort, is creator and head writer of the English-language series. He wrote the screenplays with Axel Hellstenius and Alexander Dierbach (Line of Separation) is directing.

Westworld‘s Ingrid Bolsø Berdal Heino Ferch stars opposite Heino Ferch.

The drama uses the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen as the backdrop to the six-part thriller. The vault acts as an insurance policy and backup facility for crops globally by providing storage for seed duplicates storied in gene banks around the world.

The Seed follows German detective Max (Ferch) and Norwegian policewoman Thea (Bolsø Berdal), who set out to find Max’s missing nephew Victor (Jonathan Berlin) in Spitsbergen. It soon becomes apparent his disappearance may be connected to the takeover of a seed company that is causing controversy in Brussels. As they plunge deeper into webs of intrigue and political interests they find their own lives in danger too.

Rainer Bock, Seumas Sargent, Erik Madsen and Friederike Becht round out the international cast.

“With The Seed, we would like to draw attention to an important global issue because it is about the struggle for food,” Ard Degeto Senior Vice President of Drama Christoph Pellander told Deadline. “With a top cast in front of and behind the camera, this is an exciting German-Norwegian co-production that will not only reach the German audience but also attract international attention.“

Pellander is overseeing the drama for Ard Degeto along with Head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Sebastian Lückel, with Elisabeth Tangen doing the same for Nrk. The producers are Odeon Fiction’s Britta Meyermann (Spy City) and Mischa Hofmann and the Director of Photography is Ian Blumers. FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Creative Europe Media of the European Union, the German Motion Picture Fund and the Czech Tax Incentive are supporting the production.

Babylon Berlin commissioner Ard Degeto and Nrk have been two of the most active co-producers of European drama this year. Last month, Deadline revealed Nrk had ordered a drama about Leonard Cohen’s relationship with muse Marianne Ihlen from the UK’s Buccaneer Media, Oslo-based Redpoint Productions and Canada’s Connect3 Media, for example.

Ard Degeto is working on several new dramas, including mystery thriller series Oderbruch, which is co-produced by Syrreal Entertainment and CBS Studios. Others such as Scandinavian series Blackwater, co-produced with Sweden’s Svt, ITV Studios-owned Apple Tree Productions and Filmpool Nord) are in post-production.

The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of German public broadcaster Ard, commissioning and producing more than 100 productions of feature films, TV movies and series each year. It also acquires programs, with all of its content going out on the Das Erste (Ardi) channel and streaming platform Mediathek.

Filming has begun in Prague on the Sky Original film “Der Kaiser,” which focuses on the life of German soccer player and manager Franz Beckenbauer.

In the movie, Beckenbauer is shown fighting against the rigid structures and outdated rules in soccer, in order to do things his way. He also is shown to conduct his private life as he wishes, outside of the moral contraints and expectations of the time. The movie culminates in the victory of the German national team, which he managed, in the 1990 World Cup.

Klaus Steinbacher, whose credits include “Das Boot” and “Oktoberfest 1900,” takes the leading role. Other roles are played by Ferdinand Hofer (“Tatort München”), Teresa Rizos (“J.G.A.”), Stefan Murr (“The Ibiza Affair”), Oliver Konietzny (“Kids Run”), Bettina Mittendorfer (“Zimmer mit Stall”), Heinz-Josef Braun (“Hindafing”), Christine Eixenberger (“Marie fängt Feuer”) and Sina Tkotsch (“Up Up”).

“Der Kaiser” is produced by Bavaria Fiction on behalf of Sky Studios.

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,...

Dominik Graf has been busy turning out termite art for decades. Finding a home on German TV shows like Tatort and Police Call 310, which air feature-length episodes with self-contained storylines, his work is modest but powerful, somewhere between Michael Mann and Johnnie To. Though subject of a retrospective at New York’s Anthology Film Archives in 2019, he has only recently received much attention outside Germany. His dedication to genre cinema––to which he has devoted two documentaries––and disdain for New German Cinema helps explains this, as does the infrequency with which subtitled TV is imported here. Two of his best films, Cold Spring and Bitter Innocence, are acridly cynical examinations of capitalism’s effect on German family life, mixing family melodrama with thriller.

Fabian: Going to the Dogs takes seemingly familiar ground and breathes new life into it. Set in 1931, it shows the gradual rise of fascism as a...

Investigation Discovery is going behind some of the country’s shocking murders including the 2008 death of toddler Caylee Anthony in a new docuseries.

The network has ordered Crime Scene Confidential, a six-part series hosted by Orange County Crime Scene Investigator Alina Burroughs.

The series, which launches on March 8, will see Burroughs look at the forensic evidence behind controversial and shocking murder cases from across the country.

The first episode of the series explores the evidence in the death of Caylee Anthony and the subsequent trial of her mother, Casey Anthony. Talking to the detectives who investigated the case and interrogated Casey Anthony as a suspect as well as chief medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia who pronounced the cause of death and testified in the trial, Burroughs reveals why those investigating and prosecuting the case felt they had the evidence to go to trial.

Burroughs also reflects on her own time...

Jan Mojto’s international sales company Beta Film has sold police series “Faster Than Fear,” a hit for Ard in Germany, to three high-profile international buyers. The six-hour series has been acquired by Orf in Austria, Disney Plus in Spain, and Walter Presents in Australia and New Zealand.

In Germany, the show was commissioned by Ard under its initiative termed “Mediathek First” for shows that launch first on its streaming platform, the Ard Mediathek. The digital-first initiative, which is changing the landscape in Germany, aims to target a younger audience online, while also going after the older demographic that tends to dominate the linear audience. The series was available for streaming on the Ard platform from Dec. 30, and has drawn 6.4 million views so far. On linear TV, it started to air on Jan. 1, in late primetime, following the classic crime show “Tatort” – one of the most popular series in Germany...

"The whole world is attracted to Times Square, but in the late 70s, Times Square was considered an atrocity."

Last year, Joe Berlinger's "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" anthology docuseries, focused on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam, got the eyes of 45 million households watching on Netflix in its first month. As such, the streaming giant renewed the "Crime Scene" series for three more seasons, and next up is a trip to the other side of the United States to chronicle a predatory killer in New York's...

The post Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer Trailer: The Netflix True Crime Series Goes Back to the New York of the '70s and '80s appeared first on /Film.

Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger returns to direct and executive produce season two of Crime Scene, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series that unpacks the ways in which certain locations aid and abet criminal activity. Season two begins as firemen respond to a call at a seedy hotel in the middle of Times Square […]

The post Netflix Releases Trailer for New Documentary ‘Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

ViacomCBS announced the five participants for its 2021-2022 Directors Initiative: Julie Herlocker, Bao Tran, Joy T. Lane, Pat Santana and Steven J. Kung.

The initiative provides a platform for experienced directors to gain access to showrunners, executives, managers and agents as well as the opportunity to shadow CBS Television Network and CBS Studio shows throughout the year. The program helps directors develop relationships with industry professionals, networks that are essential to finding work in the field. In its 18th year, the program will guarantee all participants of the initiative an episode of television to direct on the CBS Television Network.

“The ViacomCBS Directors Initiative gives television directors the access, exposure and opportunity to be successful in this industry,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, executive vice president of entertainment diversity and inclusion and global inclusion at ViacomCBS. “Last year’s participant, Morenike Joela Evans, has recently helmed the ‘iCarly’ reboot for Paramount Plus...