Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks, the Harry Potter series), and actors Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglourious Basterds), and Mark Rylance (The Other Boelyn Girl) have been confirmed to star in Vincent Pérez’s ALONE IN BERLIN.
Based on a true story, Hans Fallada’s powerful and redemptive novel, written shortly after the Second World War describes a city paralyzed by fear. Otto and Anna Quangel are an ordinary couple living in a shabby apartment block in Berlin trying, like everyone else, to stay out of trouble under Nazi rule. But when their only child is killed fighting at the front, their loss propels them into an extraordinary act of resistance. They start to drop anonymous postcards all over the city attacking Hitler and his regime. If caught, it means certain execution. Soon their campaign comes to the attention of the Gestapo inspector, Escherich, and a murderous game of cat-and-mouse begins. But the game serves only to strengthen Otto and Anna’s sense of purpose, and slowly their drab lives and marriage are transformed as they unite in their quiet but profound rebellion…
X-Filme’s Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott (Cloud Atlas, Amour), Master Movie’s Marco Pacchioni (Bluesbreaker, Bye Bye Blondie) are producing together with James Schamus (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) with a screenplay written by Achim von Borries (Good Bye Lenin!) and Vincent Pérez.
The film will be Co-Produced by FilmWave’s Christian Grass and Paul Trijbits who are also handling the UK rights. X-Filme retains the German rights and Master Movie the French rights, with Alison Thompsons’ Sunray Films handling international sales and distribution for all other territories. X Verleih which is the distribution arm of X-Filme will bring the film to German theaters and Pathe will distribute in France.
ALONE IN BERLIN will commence pre-production during the winter of 2014 in Germany.
Joining the production team are Cinematographer Stéphan Fontaine (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), Editor Francois Gédigier (On The Road) and Production Designer Jean-Vincent Puzos (Amour).
Stefan Arndt commented, “We are thrilled that Emma, Daniel, and Mark were immediately as fascinated as we are of this most suspenseful love story of all times. And it’s a true story, bestselling 60 years after its first publication.
Marco Pacchioni said, “it’s been a long journey since I bought the rights to the novel with Vincent Pérez seven years ago, I am happy to see so many great actors, producers and distributors join us on our adventure to bring this extraordinary work to the big screen”
Alison Thompson also commented: ”It’s a delight and a privilege to be re-uniting once again with some of my old partners on the film version of this recently re-discovered 20th Century masterpiece. It couldn’t be more worthy of a film adaption and we’re looking forward to bringing it to audiences around the globe.”
