News

Where’s Wanda is a darkly comic new thriller series, that comes to Apple TV+ on Wednesday October 2nd, marking the first German-language series for the platform. To celebrate the occasion, we had the pleasure in speaking to the leading actors, speaking to all four members of the family at the heart of the narrative.

First up we have our chat with Heike Makatsch alongside Axel Stein and their on-screen daughter, and the eponymous role, Lea Drinda. We spoke about the tricky tonality of the show, the strength of the scripts, and on their relationships with their real neighbours, which ties in with the themes of the show. Next up, we also spoke to newcomer Leo Simon, as he too talks about the attraction to the project, and on the similarities between himself and his character. Watch both interviews in their entirety below.

Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein & Lea Drinda

Leo Simon

Synopsis

Wanda,...

We're ready for a new week on streaming because that means new episodes, finales, and of course premieres as well. Plus it's the beginning of a new month! October 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting one, and that starts with this first week, Sept. 30 - Oct. 6, 2024. Check out what's coming to streaming this week that you don't want to miss:

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol season 2 - premiered Sept. 29 on AMC and AMC+The Circle season 7 finale - Wednesday, Oct. 2 on NetflixWhere's Wanda? - Wednesday, Oct. 2 on Apple TV+The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finale - Thursday, Oct. 3 on Prime VideoHeartstopper season 3 - Thursday, Oct. 3 on NetflixThe Legend of Vox Machina season 3- Thursday, Oct. 3 on Prime Video Queens Court season 2 - Sunday, Oct. 6 on PeacockThe Franchise - Sunday, Oct. 6 on HBO and Max

If you've only got time this...

Apple TV+ has announced the programming that will be added to the streaming service next month. The Apple TV Plus October 2024 lineup includes Before, Curses! Season 2, Disclaimer, The Last of the Sea Women, Shrinking Season 2, Tú También lo Harías, and Where’s Wanda.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment. It is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens.

Shrinking Season 2 Apple TV Plus October 2024 Schedule

Available October 2

Where’s Wanda? (Comedy Series)

“Where’s Wanda?” is an eight-episode German-language dark comedy produced by UFA Fiction, starring International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (“The Vault”), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (“The Gryphon”), newcomer Leo Simon, entrepreneur, actress, and author Nikeata Thompson (“How to Dad”), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (“Welcome to Germany”), Kostja Ullmann (“My Blind Date With Life...

"Let's go over the plan once again... Apple TV has revealed the trailer for a mysterious dark comedy series called Where's Wanda?, which is technically the first-ever German-language series made for Apple TV+. Netflix has been making tons of German series for years (e.g. Dark) and Disney+ also just debuted Sam: A Saxon last year. After Wanda Klatt goes missing, her family takes matters into their own hands and hatch a wild plan: Spy on the entire neighborhood. Desperate parents Dedo & Carlotta Klatt search for their missing daughter months after her disappearance. Frustrated by the police's inability to find her, they investigate their neighbors, uncovering dark secrets behind closed doors. Starring Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, Lea Drinda, Leo Simon, Nikeata Thompson, Palina Rojinski, Kostja Ullmann, and Harriet Herbig-Matten, with Devid Striesow, Jasmin Shakeri, and Joachim Król. This trailer is dubbed in English for the US release. It seems all...

HBO has unveiled that its original Hollywood satire series “The Franchise” debuts on its linear channel and Max Oct. 6 at 10 p.m Et. The premiere episode of “The Franchise” is directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes.

According to the official logline, “‘The Franchise’ follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.”

Cast members include Himesh Patel (“Greedy People”), Aya Cash (“The Boys”), Jessica Hynes (“Shaun of the Dead”), Billy Magnussen (“Road House”), Lolly Adefope (“Ghosts”), Darren Goldstein (“Ozark”) and Isaac Powell (“American Horror Story”). Richard E. Grant (“Saltburn”) and Daniel Brühl (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) will serve as recurring guest stars.

Executive producers include Mendes,...

Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for Where’s Wanda?, the eight-episode German-language dark comedy produced by UFA Fiction. The trailer allows you to watch it in German with English subtitles or dubbed in English.

Apple TV+’s first German original will premiere globally, with the first two episodes on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, followed by one episode weekly through November 13.

The series stars International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (The Vault), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (The Gryphon), and newcomer Leo Simon.

Entrepreneur, actress, and author Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (Welcome to Germany), Kostja Ullmann (My Blind Date With Life), and rising star Harriet Herbig-Matten (Maxton Hall) also star.

Where’s Wanda? tells the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt (Stein and Makatsch), who are desperate to locate their missing 17-year-old daughter, Wanda (Drinda), who disappeared months ago without a trace.

Apple TV+ has unveiled the trailer for ‘Where’s Wanda?,’ the eight-episode German-language dark comedy.

The series tells the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt (Stein and Makatsch), who are desperate to locate their missing 17-year-old daughter Wanda (Drinda), who disappeared months ago without a trace. When the police fail to find her, the family takes matters into their own hands, obtaining surveillance devices with the help of their tech-savvy son Ole (Simon). Disguising themselves as employees of an electrical company, they bug first their neighbourhood and then half their suburb, finding out that behind closed doors none of their neighbours are who they pretend to be.

It stars International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (The Vault), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (The Gryphon), newcomer Leo Simon, entrepreneur, actress and author Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (Welcome to...

Er ist endlich da: der erste Trailer von „Where’s Wanda?“, der ersten deutschen Serie auf Apple TV+, den Spot zunächst exklusiv präsentiert. Die UFA-Produktion mit Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein und Lea Drinda in den Hauptrollen wird am 2. Oktober auf Sendung gehen.

Lange hatte man darauf gewartet, was das erste deutsche Projekt bei Apple TV+ werden würde. Vor einem Jahr wurde schließlich bekanntgegeben, dass „Where’s Wanda?“ das Rennen gemacht hätte. Produziert von UFA Fiction, ist die achtteilige Serie ein abgründiger Mix aus Thriller, Drama und Comedy über ein Ehepaar in einer Kleinstadt in der deutschen Provinz, das sich nicht mit dem spurlosen Verschwinden der 17-jährigen Tochter abfinden will. In den Hauptrollen spielen Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, Leo Simon und Lea Drinda, dazu gibt es zahlreiche Gastauftritte der deutschen Darsteller-Elite. Regie führen Christian Ditter, Tobi Baumann und Facundo Scalerandi. Die Idee stammt von Zoltan Spirandelli, die Drehbücher schrieben er und Oliver Lansley.

Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the premiere date for its first German-language series Where’s Wanda?, which will debut globally on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, with the first two episodes, followed by a new episode every Wednesday through November 13, 2024.

The eight-episode dark comedy, produced by UFA Fiction, stars International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (The Vault), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (The Gryphon), newcomer Leo Simon, entrepreneur, actress and author Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (Welcome to Germany), Kostja Ullmann (My Blind Date With Life) and rising star Harriet Herbig-Matten (Maxton Hall).

Where’s Wanda? tells the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt (Stein and Makatsch), who are desperate to locate their missing 17-year-old daughter Wanda (Drinda), who disappeared months ago without a trace. When the police fail to find her, the family takes matters into their own hands, obtaining surveillance...

Apple TV+’s debut German original drama Where’s Wanda? will launch globally on Wednesday, October 2.

The first two episodes will drop that day, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through to November 13.

The series was Apple’s first German scripted series order and the industry has been awaiting its launch, with some suggesting its success or otherwise will color how the global streamer approaches commissioning in the country going forwards. “The show has been in post for ages, and everyone is really hoping is does well when it launches,” a source in Germany told us this summer as part of our deep dive into German TV drama.

The eight-part dark comedy stars Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), Axel Stein (The Vault), Lea Drinda (The Gryphon), Leo Simon, Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad), Palina Rojinski (Welcome to Germany), Kostja Ullmann (My Blind Date with Life), Harriet Herbig-Matten, Devid Striesow (All Quiet on the Western Front...

Nach langer Wartezeit geht das erste deutsche Apple TV+ Original „Where’s Wanda?“ an den Start. Das US-Unternehmen hat den Termin der Serie mit Lea Drinda, Axel Stein und Heike Makatsch bekannt gegeben.

V.l.: Lea Drinda, Leo Simon, Axel Stein und Heike Makatsch (Credit: Apple TV+)

Die erste deutschsprachige Apple-tv+-Serie „Where’s Wanda?“ startet am 2. Oktober mit den ersten beiden Episoden weltweit auf dem Streamingdienst. Die achtteilige Dark Comedy, produziert von UFA Fiction, ist hochkarätig besetzt mit Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, Lea Drinda und dem dem Newcomer Leo Simon. Dazu kommen im Cast unter anderem Nikeata Thompson, Palina Rojinski, Kostja Ullmann und „Maxton Hall“-Jungstar Harriet Herbig.

Nach der Doppelfolge zum Auftakt werden die Episoden wie gewohnt auf dem Streamingdienst im Wochenrhythmus veröffentlicht. Mit dem düsteren Krankenhausdrama „Krank Berlin“ mit Haley Louise Jones in der Hauptrolle hat Apple TV+ kürzlich eine zweite deutschsprachige Original-Serie angekündigt, dessen Starttermin aktuell aber noch nicht feststeht.

Einst hatte die deutsche Krankenhaus-Serie „Krank Berlin“ durch den Fiction-Ausstieg von Sky Probleme, überhaupt den Dreh zu starten. Nun hat sie ZDFneo als Partner in Deutschland und international ganz neu Apple TV+ an Bord.

Haley Louise Jones als Dr. Parker (Credit: Apple TV+)

Vergangenes Jahr rettete ZDFneo mit seiner Beteiligung die auf der Kippe stehende Sky-Krankenhaus-Serie „Krank Berlin“. Nun hat sich der Streamer Apple TV+ die weltweiten Rechte jenseits des deutschen Marktes gesichert. Das achtteilige Format wurde kreiert von Samuel Jefferson und Viktor Jakovleski. Ersterer war selbst länger in der Notaufnahme tätig. Produzenten sind Violet Pictures und Real Film Berlin.

Die Hauptrolle der Serie spielt Haley Louise Jones, die als angehende Ärztin in einer Berliner Notfallambulanz zu arbeiten beginnt. Es handelt sich dabei um das härteste und am meisten frequentierte Krankenhaus der deutschen Hauptstadt. Eine weitere Hauptrolle spielt Slavko Popadić, begleitet von einem Ensemble mit Şafak Şengül, Aram Tafreshian, Samirah Breuer,...

‘After the Party’ in the U.K.

Channel 4 has acquired U.K. rights to the acclaimed New Zealand drama “After the Party” from Lingo Pictures.

The six-part series, co-created by and starring Robyn Malcolm (“Black Bird”), follows Penny Wilding, a mother, teacher and environmental activist, whose life imploded five years earlier after she accused her husband Phil, played by Peter Mullan, of a sex crime and nobody believed her.

When Penny’s now ex-husband returns to town, her daughter pressures her to let go of her accusations and move on. As her old furies rise to the surface, Penny must decide what’s more important – the truth or rebuilding her relationships with the people around her.

Co-created by Dianne Taylor, “After the Party” was produced by Australia’s Lingo Pictures and Luminous Beast in New Zealand as an original commission for New Zealand’s Tvnz in association with and distributed by ITV Studios.

Ah the early 2000s. The Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube were the hottest videogame consoles around. Limp Bizkit, Smash Mouth, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, and Usher were ruling the airwaves and little did we know we would be blessed with tons of horror video game movie adaptations as well. Granted, some weren’t that great, looking at you House of the Dead, Doom and Alone in the Dark. But there also were some fun films from this genre…Silent Hill and Resident Evil. At the time, both weren’t exactly loved by critics, but they did have their fans and have each spawned sequels. Today, we’re looking at the first Resident Evil (watch it Here) on this episode of Horror Revisited.

Let’s start back in January 1997. Resident Evil had already released on the Playstation One to critical fame as well as being adored by gamers. A German Production...

Emma Thompson has turned in a host of eclectic, effective, excellent performances throughout her illustrious career. She started out with period dramas such as “Howards End” and “The Remains of the Day” before later moving into fantasy with roles in “Nanny McPhee” and “Harry Potter.” Add to that top-tier performances in the likes of “Sense and Sensibility,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Cruella,” and “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” and you’ve got one hell of a performer.

However, Thompson has stated herself that the role she gets the most praise for is actually… “Love Actually.” The classic Richard Curtis Christmas movie, which turns 20 this year, tells the interconnected love stories of eight different sets of people with Thompson delivering the most emotional and heartbreaking storyline of all of them. Thompson’s Karen is an under-appreciated stay-at-home mother who spends her days looking after the kids, making costumes for their school nativity,...

Apple TV+ has set its first German-language series, “Where’s Wanda?”

“Where’s Wanda?” tells the story of a couple desperate to find their missing daughter. After months of waiting for the police to track her down, Dedo and Carlotta Klatt finally take matters into their own hands. With the help of their tech-savvy son Ole, the family bug their local neighbourhood – which is when they begin to realize that their neighbors are hiding more than they realized.

Produced by Fremantle-owned UFA Fiction, the dark comedy stars Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”) as Carlotta and Axel Stein (“The Vault”) as Dedo. Lea Drinda (“The Gryphon”) stars as 17-year-old Wanda while newcomer Leo Simon plays Ole.

Rounding out the cast are Palina Rojinski (“Welcome to Germany”), Nikeata Thompson (“How to Dad”), Devid Striesow (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), Joachim Król (“The Most Desired Man”), Jasmin Shakeri (“The Magic Flute”) and...

Apple TV+ has greenlit its first project out of Germany.

Darkly comic TV series Where’s Wanda? answers the question of how far a person would go to save their child. Produced by Fremantle-backed Moonage Daydream-maker UFA Fiction, Where’s Wanda? tells the story of Dedo (Axel Stein) and Carlotta Klatt (Heike Makatsch), who are desperate to locate their missing daughter months after her disappearance. When the police fail to find her, they take matters into their own hands and discover that behind closed doors, none of their neighbors are who they pretend to be.

Where’s Wanda features an ensemble German cast including multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (The Gryphon), newcomer Leo Simon, presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (Welcome to Germany) and entrepreneur, actress and author Nikeata Thompson (How to Dad). It is directed by Christian Ditter (How to be Single) and Tobi Baumann (Faking Hitler) and written...

The 73rd Berlin International Film Festival kicked off with a four-hour celebration of cinema – one that got increasingly political as the hours ticked by.

The German festival has always mixed politics with art, and that intersection could not be avoided in 2023 as Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on and the citizens of Iran are imprisoned and executed by an extremist government over human rights. In between, veteran indie director Rebecca Miller offered up her latest, the marital dramedy ‘She Came to Me’, reports Variety.

Berlin jury president Kristen Stewart spoke of the inherent political nature of film early on, addressing the crowd at the Berlinale Palast theatre at Thursday’s opening ceremony.

“There are a lot of oppressions against our physical selves. I’m a girl, but I’m probably the least marginal version of a woman I can be,” Stewart said.

Golshifteh Farahani, another juror, noted some women are not as fortunate.

While Anne Hathaway and Kristen Stewart delivered a dose of major red carpet glamour as the Berlin Film Festival returned to a full-scale, in-person operation for the first time since 2020, the event’s role as a political platform was also revived as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the star of Sean Penn’s Berlin-premiering documentary “Superpower,” stole the show.

Hollywood stars were greeted on Thursday by packed crowds outside the Berlinale Palast and by festival co-heads Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian. In addition to unseasonably mild weather, the onlookers were treated to glimpses of the cast and crew of Rebecca Miller’s opening night film “She Came to Me,” including stars Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig and Evan Ellison. Hathaway, sporting a see-through tangle of a dress and arm-length gloves, is the film’s producer and star.

Stewart, who was decked out in Chanel, is this year’s international jury president and,...

Love Actually is back on our TV screens for Christmas, and it’s reminded us of something we learned about the film back in 2015.

Director Richard Curtis’ wife – scriptwriter, author and broadcaster Emma Freud – live-tweeted a midnight screening of the film she was watching with her family.

By doing so, she revealed a lot of detail about the film that viewers probably won’t have known before.

One of those revelations was what happens to Karen and Harry, played by Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman, after the film ended.

In the film, the audience can only watch on as Harry, who has two children with his wife Karen, engages in a flirtation with his secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch), and later decides to buy her a gold necklace for Christmas.

Karen accidentally discovers the necklace and thinks it’s for her, only to realise the heartbreaking truth when he...

Love Actually is back on our TV screens for Christmas, and it’s reminded us of something we learned about the film back in 2015.

Director Richard Curtis’ wife – scriptwriter, author and broadcaster Emma Freud – live-tweeted a midnight screening of the film she was watching with her family.

By doing so, she revealed a lot of detail about the film that viewers probably won’t have known before.

One of those revelations was what happens to Karen and Harry, played by Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman, after the film ended.

In the film, the audience can only watch on as Harry, who has two children with his wife Karen, engages in a flirtation with his secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch), and later decides to buy her a gold necklace for Christmas.

Karen accidentally discovers the necklace and thinks it’s for her, only to realise the heartbreaking truth when he...

Love Actually is back on our TV screens for Christmas, and it has reminded us of something we learned about the film back in 2015.

Director Richard Curtis’ wife – scriptwriter, author and broadcaster Emma Freud – live-tweeted a midnight screening of the film she was watching with her family.

By doing so, she revealed a lot of detail about the film that viewers probably won’t have known before.

One of those revelations was what happens to Karen and Harry, played by Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman, after the film ended.

In the film, the audience can only watch on as Harry, who has two children with his wife Karen, engages in a flirtation with his secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch), to the point where he buys her a gold necklace for Christmas.

Karen accidentally discovers the necklace and thinks it’s for her, only to realise the heartbreaking truth when...

It's never a bad time to remember the late, great Alan Rickman. After all, films like "Dogma," "Galaxy Quest," and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" are excellent movie night picks all year round. However, it's especially hard not to think about the actor around the holiday season as he stars in two fan-favorite Christmas staples: "Die Hard" and "Love Actually." With the latter celebrating a milestone anniversary this year, it's the perfect time to revisit Richard Curtis' beloved British ensemble picture that reminds us that love is all around us.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the classic holiday rom-com, ABC News put together a special titled "The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later." Diane Sawyer sits down with members of the cast and crew to reminisce, revealing some untold stories from the film. And when it comes to discussing Rickman's role in the story, the writer...

Emma Thompson has said that it is not very fun for her to rewatch Love Actually.

The actor appeared on Tuesday night’s (6 December) episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, on which she spoke about the much-loved 2003 Christmas film.

In it, Thompson, 63, plays Karen, whose husband (Alan Rickman) becomes attracted to his younger secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch).

Thompson’s storyline in the romcom is often cited as the film’s most heartbreaking by viewers.

Asked by host Jimmy Fallon whether she ever rewatches the holiday film, Thompson responded: “No! It was 20 years ago.”

He replied: “I know, but isn’t it kind of fun to put it on and go, ‘Oh, I remember where we were when we were doing that?’”

“Not really,” said Thompson. “You just think… I don’t think I was very well paid for that and that was that terrible trailer with the loo that really stank…...

Ah, Love Actually. It’s the convoluted Christmas movie of choice for many of us year after year, and we love it despite its many flaws, which have only grown in number as we’ve become more aware of things like the Bechdel test, how unfunny fat jokes are and that not all relationships are between heterosexual white people.

As romcoms go, Love Actually is certainly ambitious, telling nine different stories over the course of two hours, which makes it even more unbelievable that Richard Curtis originally wanted there to be a whopping fourteen storylines.

The ones that made the cut range from the slightly icky to full-blown swoon fests, so let’s rank them to find out which is the most romantic Love Actually storyline:

9. Harry, Karen and Mia

There is no romance here at all. Not in the way Harry (Alan Rickman) takes his brilliant wife Karen (Emma Thompson...

Richard Curtis has revealed which Love Actually scene drove Alan Rickman “insane”.

In a 20th anniversary special for the 2003 film, Diane Sawyer interviews Curtis, as well as cast members, including Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, and Bill Nighy.

During the special, Curtis revisited the memorable scene in which Rickman’s character Harry sneaks away from his wife (Thompson) on a shopping trip in order to purchase a necklace for his younger colleague Mia (Heike Makatsch).

When he attempts to pay for the jewellery, however, Harry is served by Rowan Atikinson’s eccentric shopping clerk Rufus.

Rufus promises to have Harry’s gift wrapped in “the flashiest of flashes” before he proceeds to elaborately wrap the gift with unnecessary items like flower buds, lavender, holly, and a cinnamon stick. The whole process takes a comically long time, making Harry nervous that his wife will return.

While the scene is generally...

Love may actually be all around, but it was mostly a white Christmas when it came to 2003 rom-com “Love Actually.”

Writer-director Richard Curtis reflected on the beloved classic film, saying the lack of diversity makes him “feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid” two decades later.

“There are things you’d change but, thank God, society is changing, so my film is bound, in some moments, to feel out of date,” Curtis said in a interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC’s 20th-anniversary special “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later” (via Entertainment Weekly).

Curtis continued, “The lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid. You know, I think there are sort of three plots that have sort of bosses and people who work for them.”

The film focused on 10 separate love stories, with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Alan Rickman,...

“Love Actually” persists.

A number of cast members from the beloved holiday classic are reuniting nearly two decades later. “Love Actually” premiered in Nov. 2003 but started its creative process the year prior. A one-hour reunion special titled “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later” is set for late November courtesy of ABC News.

Read More: Keira Knightley Has Never Rewatched ‘Love Actually’: ‘It’s Just Very Odd Watching Films That You’re In’

Stars Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson, plus director Richard Curtis will appear for the reunion. More stars are being teased, including a message from Martin McCutcheon, who portrayed Natalie.

“The special will also examine how the Covid-19 pandemic refocused the ways we love and connect and the omnipresent acts of kindness inside our families and communities,” a press release explains.

Read More: ‘Love Actually’ Actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster ‘Hated,...

WarnerMedia Germany has confirmed that Ricky Gervais is among the cast of its comedy series Greenlight – German Genius, which is now shooting in Berlin.

The eight-part TV satire stars Kida Khodr Ramadan (4 Blocks) as himself. It recounts a dramatized version of events after Ramadan’s real-life Twitter exchange with Gervais in 2018, in which the British comedian praised Ramadan’s performance in 4 Blocks.

In Greenlight, Ramadan convinces Gervais to give him the rights for a German adaptation of Extras. However, as he attempts to progress the show to production, he comes up against the fact that the Germans aren’t particularly known for their humor, and that there are not many international stars in the country.

Also in the cast are a host of known German actors, musicians, and comedians, including: Detlev Buck, Frederick Lau, Tom Schilling, Veysel Gelin, Olli Schulz, Heike Makatsch, Maria Furtwängler, Sascha Geršak, Katrin Bauerfeind, Britta Hammelstein,...

Ricky Gervais has boarded “Greenlight – German Genius” a new series from WarnerMedia Germany inspired by one of his tweets from 2019.

The 8-episode series, which has started shooting in Berlin, satirises the German television industry.

Two years ago the “After Life” writer and actor sent a public message via Twitter to German actor Kida Ramadan praising his portrayal of character Toni Hamady in series “4 Blocks.”

“Congratulations,” wrote Gervais. “Another masterpiece.”

In a case of art imitating life, Ramadan and Gervais will now appear as fictional versions of themselves in “Greenlight – German Genius,” in which Ramadan convincing Gervais to let him make a German adaptation of his hit series “Extras” after the comedian sends Ramadan a tweet praising his performance in “4 Blocks.”

However, Ramadan hits a stumbling block when he realizes there aren’t any international celebrities in Germany to cameo in the adaptation all while trying to navigate the...

Leonine Studios has picked up six-part event series “Herzogpark,” one of the first big-budget offerings commissioned by German broadcast giant Rtl’s streaming service Tvnow.

Leonine will handle worldwide sales, and is set to launch global distribution at next month’s Mipcom market in Cannes. The show, from “Bad Banks” producer Letterbox Filmproduktion, is directed by Jochen Alexander Freydank, who is best known for his Oscar-winning short film “Toyland.”

Billed as a scandalous society comedy-drama with strong female characters, the cast is led by Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), Lisa Maria Potthoff (“Kaiserschmarrndrama”), Antje Traue (“Dark”) and Felicitas Woll. Others include Heiner Lauterbach (“Welcome to Germany”), Jeanette Hain (“The Reader”), Trystan Pütter (“Babylon Berlin”) and Lukas Spisser (“What We Wanted”) and Francis Fulton-Smith (“Blackout”).

The show centers on Hannah, Elisabeth and Annabelle, who are beautiful, rich and want to stay in their home in Munich’s highly exclusive residential area of Herzogpark at all costs.

A series of ironic and satiric videos from some of Germany’s most prominent film and television actors criticizing and mocking new government lockdown measures have sparked a furious online debate, and support from an unlikely source.

Many in the media here have sharply criticized the videos, but members of the far right are applauding

Around 50 well-known German and German-speaking actors, including Vicky Kriebs (The Phantom Thread), Ulrich Tukur (The Lives of Others), Volker Bruch (Babylon Berlin), Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually), and TV stars such as Jan Josef Liefers, Meret Becker and Ulrike Folkerts, all posted short videos in which ...

A series of ironic and satiric videos from some of Germany’s most prominent film and television actors criticizing and mocking new government lockdown measures have sparked a furious online debate, and support from an unlikely source.

Many in the media here have sharply criticized the videos, but members of the far right are applauding

Around 50 well-known German and German-speaking actors, including Vicky Kriebs (The Phantom Thread), Ulrich Tukur (The Lives of Others), Volker Bruch (Babylon Berlin), Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually), and TV stars such as Jan Josef Liefers, Meret Becker and Ulrike Folkerts, all posted short videos in which ...

The German actress/filmmaker discusses her latest feature starring Dan Stevens as a “partnership robot”.

A mix of “humour and bewilderment” drew German filmmaker Maria Schrader to make I’m Your Man, which will play in Competition at the virtual Berlin International Film Festival (March 1-5).

“I was drawn to it by the simplicity of the set-up,” says Schrader, who tackled more serious subject matter last year in Netflix miniseries Unorthodox, which won her an Emmy for directing. “It’s like a boy meets girl thing. But it’s actually girl meets boy and it’s a robot boy.”

The romantic comedy,...

Picture Tree International has sold family drama “God You Are Such a P—k,” starring Til Schweiger and Heike Makatsch, to several additional territories. The Berlin-based sales agent revealed the latest deals as the American Film Market entered its second day of trading.

Among the latest buyers are Koba Films in France, Notorious Pictures in Italy, and Eagle International in Taiwan. HBO Europe took rights in Poland and the former Yugoslavia, Ads in Hungary, Whiland in Latin America, and Rialto in New Zealand.

As reported by Variety, in previous deals Cinemart acquired the rights in the Czech and Slovak republics, and Voxell Films nabbed the movie for the Commonwealth of Independent States. Leonine is distributing the film in Germany.

Picture Tree is in negotiations for U.S. and Canada, mainland China and the other Asian territories.

Inspired by the true story of Stefanie Pape and the book of the same...

Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer of family drama “God You’re Such a P—k,” starring Heike Makatsch and Til Schweiger. Sales agent Picture Tree Intl. has revealed the first territory deals.

Cinemart has taken rights for Czech Republic and Slovakia, while Voxell Films has taken Cis. Picture Tree is in final negotiations for North America, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Poland. The German distributor Leonine is aiming for an Oct. 1 release.

Inspired by the true story of Stefanie Pape and the book of the same name written by her father Frank Pape, the film follows a 16-year-old girl, played by Sinje Irslinger, whose world is turned upside down when she finds out she has terminal cancer right before a school graduation trip to Paris.

When Steffi’s parents, portrayed by Schweiger and Makatsch, decide she should stay home instead, she runs away with a young motorcycle daredevil,...

The German family drama, now in post-production, will star Sinje Irslinger, Til Schweiger and Heike Makatsch in the lead roles. Berlin-based sales outfit Picture Tree International has picked up the international rights to André Erkau’s family drama God You’re Such a Prick. The director’s latest cinematic endeavour was Happy Burnout (2016), a comedy revolving around an unemployed man diagnosed with burn-out syndrome, and starring Torben Liebrecht, Kostja Ullmann and Anke Engelke in the lead roles. The news about Picture Tree International’s acquisition was first reported by Variety. The script of God You’re Such a Prick, penned by Tommy Wosch and Katja Kittendorf, centres on a 16-year-old girl called Stefanie (Sinje Irslinger), whose world is turned upside down when she finds out she has terminal cancer right before a school graduation trip to Paris. When Stefanie’s parents (Til Schweiger and Heike Makatsch) decide that she should stay home instead,...

Berlin-based sales company Picture Tree Intl. has picked up international rights to Ufa Fiction’s family drama “God You’re Such a Prick”, which features Til Schweiger and Heike Makatsch leading a star-studded cast.

Inspired by the true story of Stefanie Pape and the book of the same name written by her father Frank Pape, the film follows a 16-year-old girl, played by Sinje Irslinger, whose world is turned upside down when she finds out she has terminal cancer right before a school graduation trip to Paris. When Steffi’s parents, portrayed by Schweiger and Makatsch, decide she should stay home instead, she runs away with a young motorcycle daredevil, played by Max Hubacher, who promises to take her to Paris. Driven by deep longing and a lust for life, Steffi learns it’s easier to let go of life when you’ve really loved it.

Speaking to Variety, director...

This year’s gathering in Saarbrücken paid homage to the German thesp, known for her performance as singer-songwriter Hildegard Knef in the biopic Hilde. During this year's Max Ophüls Prize Festival (20-26 January), four films were presented that featured performances by Heike Makatsch. They included three of her most recent productions as well as the German movie in which she played her most popular role. Besides the film screenings, the German thesp also held a workshop and talk open to the public. “Heike Makatsch is one of the most successful German actresses, whose acting is characterised by versatility and naturalness,” says festival director Svenja Böttger. Indeed, Makatsch's talent is there for all to admire in the biopic Hilde by Kai Wessel, where she breathes life into German singer-songwriter Hildegard Knef, one of the idols of the German homosexual community during the post-World War II years. Makatsch's performance was highly acclaimed and.

“Dark” creators Baran bo Odar (left) and Jantje Friese (right), “Berlin Station” actress Emilia Schuele and actor Nikolai Kinski, and Michael Mueller, Mayor of Berlin, were among the guests at the Studio Babelsberg Night Friday at Berlin’s Soho House. Hosting the event were Studio Babelsberg’s president and CEO, Charlie Woebcken, and its COO, Christoph Fisser. Canada Goose was event partner.

Speaking about Babelsberg’s year ahead, Fisser said: “We are in talks for several international and German productions, including feature films and high-end drama series, like the third season of Netflix’s ‘Dark.'”

He added: “We hope that Germany’s film production support system will continue to improve in order to meet the demands of a variety of productions.”

Other guests included actresses Franka Potente, Lea van Acken, Antje Traue, Claudia Michelsen, Iris Berben, Heike Makatsch, Nora von Waldstaetten, Christiane Paul and Jessica Schwarz.

The actors present included Mark Waschke,...

A visibly moved Dieter Kosslick received a standing ovation at the opening of the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday as he took to the stage to welcome international stars, filmmakers, and cinephiles for the final time as festival director.

The 69th Berlinale opened with a 1920s-style serenade dedicated to Kosslick by popular German singer Max Raabe and entertainer Anke Engelke, who also hosted the ceremony.

Monika Grütters, Germany’s culture and media commissioner, praised Kosslick for his 18 years at the head of one of the world’s largest film festivals.

Kosslick succeeded in sharpening the festival’s political profile, attracting international stars and filmmakers and ensuring the glamour factor, Grütters said.

“Our Berliner Bear in gold and silver, our beautiful trophy, is our most famous ambassador of film, but only one person can compete with him. That’s you, dear Dieter. And at the opening of your 18th and our 69th Berlinale,...

Promo-reel screening of ‘Elephant’ today (Feb 7).

Studiocanal is launching sales on Tim Trachte’s live-action adaptation of classic German animated children’s show Benjamin The Elephant at Efm.

The feature has been in the works for more than two years but nothing has been shown until now. “It’s the first time we’re showing images to buyers,” said Studiocanal’s newly promoted Anna Marsh, ahead of a promo-reel screening today (Feb 7).

Produced by Christian Becker at Rat Pack Filmproduktion, the film features an ensemble cast including Heike Makatsch, Tim Oliver Schultz and Friedrich Von Thun. The franchise - born...

For all its charms — and there are many, including at least one child in a handmade octopus costume, Hugh Grant dancing a lot, and Colin Firth proposing in a crowded restaurant using only very haltingly acquired Portuguese — Richard Curtis’ beloved rom-com “Love, Actually” is actually filled with a whole lot of pain. There’s the subplot about Liam Neeson’s character’s dead wife, an entire narrative thread devoted to the personal sacrifices made by Laura Linney’s character, and then there’s what happens to Emma Thompson’s dedicated wife and mother, Karen.

In the 2003 holiday-set feature, Karen’s plot involves the discovery that her husband Harry (the late Alan Rickman) is cheating on her with his secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch). It’s a slow build, complete with a very uncomfortable party scene and an admittedly strange journey to a department store manned by Rowan Atkinson and a whole mess of cinnamon sticks,...

The upcoming Filmfest Munich just announced 20 exciting world premieres for their New German Cinema strand. Highlights include Fremde Tochter by Stephan Lacant with Elisa Schlott and Heike Makatsch, Detour by Nina Vukovic with Luise Heyer and Lars Rudolph, Luna by Khaled Kaissar with Lisa Vicari, Branko Tomovic and Bibiana Beglau, Lomo - The Language of Many Others by Julia Langhof with Jonas Dassler and Lucie Hollmann and many more exciting movies from young and established German filmmakers. "Do You Sometimes Feel Burned Out and Empty?" The films of the New German Cinema sidebar ask us probing questions about our self-image, self-improvement and other's perception of us, which informs not just Lola Randl's film of that name starring Charly Hübner and Benno Fürmann, but all...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov’s detention by the Russian authorities has been extended by yet another two months to July 11.

This decision was made by Nikolai Tkachuk, a judge of the Moscow City Court, claiming that the charged offence poses a particular hazard to the public.

Initially, it had been expected that Sentsov’s trial would start yesterday (May 11), the first anniversary after his arrest on the Crimean peninsula in May 2014.

However, Sentsov’s case will be kept in the public eye by the Ukrainian Pavilion at the International Village in Cannes’ Marché du Film in the next two weeks.

Visitors to the Pavilion will be invited to add their names to a petition calling for the 38-year-old director’s release.

This comes after the European Parliament passed a resolution in its plenary session in Strasbourg calling for the ¨immediate release¨ of all Ukrainian citizens illegally detained in Russia, including Sentsov and the Ukrainian pilot and MP...

Mark Monheim’s film [pictured] will be shown at the German Films Previews later this month in Dresden.

Global Screen has picked up worldwide distribution rights to About A Girl.

Mark Monheim’s film stars Jasna Fritzi Bauer alongside Heike Makatsch and centres on a 15-year-old girl who, after failing to commit suicide, discovers what fun life can be when she falls in love.

The film is in post-production but Global Screen will show a fine cut at the German Films Previews, taking place in Dresden from June 19-22.

About A Girl is produced by Imbissfilm in co-production with die film, Senator Film Produktion and Bayerischer Rundfunk, with support from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt Berlin and German Federal Film Fund.

Efm: Brisk business for Beta Cinema; Pandastorm buys five.

Beta Cinema’s two Competition titles – Dietrich Brüggemann’s Stations Of The Cross and Edward Berger’s Jack – were the Munich-based sales company’s top-selling titles at this year’s European Film Market (Efm).

Stations Of The Cross has been sold to France (Memento), Italy (Satine Film), Spain (Caramel), Poland (Aurora), Benelux (Wild Bunch), Portugal (Vendetta Films), Greece (7 Films), Scandinavia and the Baltic States (Nonstop), Ex-Yugoslavia (Discovery) and Hungary (Circo).

As reported by ScreenDaily yesterday, the UK (Arrow) has also taken the drama, which had been the top-rated film of the Screen jury before Richard Linklater’s Boyhood was screened.

Further interest has been shown from the Us and Australia for the Ufa Fiction production, which received the Silver Bear for Best Script and the Ecumenical Jury’s prize for the best film in the Competition..

Jack has been acquired for France (Diaphana), Japan (Showgate), Norway (Europa...

The Berlin International Film Festival is celebrating its opening today, on February 7, 2013 at 7.30 pm. After a few words of greeting from Minister of State for Cultural and Media Affairs Bernd Neumann and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, the Festival will be officially opened by Jury President Wong Kar Wai (Hong Kong, China) and Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick. The International Jury – whose other members are Susanne Bier (Denmark), Andreas Dresen (Germany), Ellen Kuras (USA), Shirin Neshat (Iran), Tim Robbins (USA) and Athina Rachel Tsangari (Greece) – will also be introduced during the gala. Anke Engelke will again host the evening. This year’s music will be provided by Ulrich Tukur & Die Rhythmus Boys. 3sat will be broadcasting the opening live. Ziyi Zhang in Yi dai zong shi (The Grandmaster) by Wong Kar Wai Following the gala, Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial-arts drama The Grandmaster will have its international premiere. The director and his leading actors,...

Popular Monday Night Double-Feature Block to Present Full Month of Horror Madness

Culver City, Calif., Sept. 26, 2011 - Sony Movie Channel is celebrating Halloween throughout the entire month of October as its weekly double-feature block Mandays takes a stab as Killer Mandays.

“Sony Movie Channel is thrilled to bring such high quality horror films to our viewers during the month of October,” said Superna Kalle. “With such prestigious filmmakers as John Carpenter and Tsui Hark programmed for Killer Mandays, our audience will be screaming for more.”

The thrills will continue online when from Monday, October 3rd - Thursday, November 3rd, sonymoviechannel.com will launch a “Killer Mandays Costume Contest,” where people can submit a photograph of their best horror costume. The winner, voted on by the public, will win a Sony Blu-ray Player and a “Resident Evil” Blu-ray collection. Additional prizing to ten second place winners will include a “Resident Evil” Blu-ray collection.

Based on the bestselling novel Die Damalstuer by Akif Pirincci (Germany’s equivalent of Stephen King) The Door follows successful artist David Andernach (Mads Mikkelsen) who seemingly has the perfect life; he has a beautiful wife and child and lives in a large home in an affluent suburb. However one day when he’s meant to be looking after his daughter Leonie (Veleria Eisenbart) whilst his wife Maja (Jessica Schwarz) is working; he decides to pay a visit to his neighbour and mistress Gia (Heike Makatsch) instead of taking his daughter out into the forest to catch butterflies. When he returns he finds that Leonie is nowhere to be seen and soon discovers that she has drowned in their pool.

Cut to five years later and we see David as a broken man who’s desperate for forgiveness from Maja, who he is now divorced from, and unable to paint.