This is the third adaptation of Alfred Döblin's 1929 novel of the same title. The first was Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf (1931) by Phil Jutzi, and the second was the miniseries Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)
The film was initially slated for theatrical release in Germany on 21 May 2020, but this was pushed back two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.