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Netflix managed to work a bit of a miracle this year. The streamer brought to life the movie Exterritorial, a twisty thriller that stars Jeanne Goursaurd (The 15:17 to Paris). The only thing is: the movie is from Germany, so not exactly a country that comes to mind when you are looking for a new thriller to watch. But as we know full well at this point, the language barrier becomes insignificant when a story is gripping. The Netflix numbers underscore it: Exterritorial has been among the most-watched movies on the platform for 12 weeks in a row.

While it is not uncommon for a new movie to make it to the Netflix most-watched charts, the views usually start dropping in a couple of weeks — that's when a movie disappears from the top 10 and, if it returns, it's only in specific scenarios. That's not what happened with Exterritorial. Of course, roughly three months after its debut,...

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2025 is halfway over, and for the most part, films this year have been massively disappointing, including the supposedly final Mission: Impossible film and most of the Netflix original films that came out this year. While it is true that most Netflix original films that were released this year are not that good, there were also some extremely entertaining films, from Tom Hardy‘s gritty action thriller film Havoc to Vince Vaughn‘s touching comedy film Nonnas. So, we decided to compile a list of the best Netflix original films that came out in 2025.

Exterritorial Credit – Netflix

Exterritorial is a German action thriller film written and directed by Christian Zübert. The 2025 film follows Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier visiting the US Consulate in Germany with her son, but when he suddenly goes missing, she does everything she can to find him.

Whenever you feel like watching a thriller, German cinema is usually not your go-to option. Like any movie industry, though, Germany releases titles across every genre throughout the year. The thing is, not all of them become heavy hitters. This is not the case with Exterritorial, a new Netflix movie that has been dominating the streamer's charts over the last three months. The story centers around a woman who goes to extreme lengths in order to find her missing son. The movie is available to stream now.

Exterritorial plays a bit with the premise that several franchises like John Wick and Takenused over the last couple of decades. In it, Sara (Jeanne Goursaud) panics when her son disappears and, from the looks of it, the boy has been kidnapped. This prompts Sara to enter berserk mode and surprise everyone who thought she was a harmless housewife. As the trailer showcases,...

Breakout action hit Exterritorialhas become a streaming sensation on Netflix.

Per Tudum, the German-language action film Exterritorial has made its way to the number four spot on the top streaming chart for non-English films on the platform. The film currently sits behind Troll, Under Paris, and Society of the Snow, which hold the number one, two, and three spots on the chart, respectively. As of the time of writing, Exterritorial has been streamed over 87,200,000 times, with a whopping 158,500,000 hours of the film being viewed on the platform so far.

Written and directed by Christian Zübert, Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud as Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier who was the only survivor of an ambush that wiped out the rest of her team in Afghanistan. When Sara takes her young son Josh to the United States Consulate in Frankfurt to apply for a work visa, things spiral out of control upon her son's sudden disappearance.

Netflix's new action thriller with a 45% Rotten Tomatoes score ascends the streaming service's top four most popular charts of all time. Netflix's most-watched movie of all time is Red Notice, ranking first with 230.9 million views. It's followed by Carry-On in second with 172.1 million views, and Don't Look Up just behind it at 171.4 million.

The Adam Project ranks fourth with 157.6 million, just edging out Bird Box in fifth with 157.4 million views. Behind them are Back in Action in sixth with 147.2 million views, Leave the World Behind in seventh with 143.4 million, and The Gray Man in eighth with 139.3 million. Damsel lands in ninth place at 138 million, while We Can Be Heroes closes out the list with 137.3 million views.

In terms of Netflix's non-English movies, Troll is their most popular of all time with 103 million views. Under Paris follows closely in second place with 102.3 million views, and Society of the Snow takes third with 98.5 million.

Exterritorial is among the most popular movies on Netflix, but director Christian Zübert reveals what would need to happen for a sequel. The action thriller was released back in April and portrays a special forces soldier who becomes suspicious of a U.S. consulate when her son goes missing. Exterritorial has generated impressive viewership, but polarized audiences since premiering, as evidenced by the 45% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast features Jeanne Goursaud, Dougray Scott, Annabelle Mandeng, Kayode Akinyemi, and Lera Abova.

During a recent interview with Deadline, Zübert addressed whether he would continue expanding the Exterritorial universe. While he would not dismiss making another movie, Zübert explained that it would require "a really good idea." The writer/director added that success would not be enough reason to make a sequel. Read his comments below:

I always like to do something new and challenge myself in a new way. I wouldn't say no,...

Netflix is extending its partnership with German writer-director Christian Zübert, commissioning a new scripted series that will chronicle the fiercely competitive world of international show-jumping, Deadline reported on 28 June 2025. The still-untitled project arrives just two months after Zübert’s action thriller Exterritorial became a global breakout for the streamer.

Released worldwide on 30 April, the film surged to the top of Netflix’s movie chart in 69 territories within 24 hours and climbed to a record 88 countries during its first week, according to FlixPatrol data highlighted by German trade outlet Filmstarts. FlixPatrol’s cumulative viewing table now lists 152.5 million hours watched, placing the title 38th on Netflix’s all-time leaderboard. The traction is mirrored in individual daily charts, where the film remains in Morocco’s Top 10 more than seven weeks after launch.

Exterritorial follows former Special Forces operative Sara Wulf (Jeanne Goursaud) as she hunts for her missing son inside the U.S.

Exclusive: Christian Zübert, the writer and director of hit Netflix film Exterritorial couldn’t believe it when his German action thriller scaled the streamer’s film charts. “I said to my wife, I hope we don’t have a moment like La La Land in 2017 because I was thinking: ‘It’s quite unbelievable,’” he says.

“I was really happy with the movie, it turned out the way I wanted, a mix of a really emotional story and a genre story. I thought, maybe we’ll get number one in Germany and in some other countries, and hopefully we won’t do too badly in the big markets, like the U.S. and Britain.”

Exterritorial actually sat atop the Netflix film charts in 88 countries including the U.S. and UK. It was the most-watched film in the streamer’s non-English language charts for three weeks. Having scaled the heights, the Constantin Film...

Streaming numbers for the week of April 28–May 4 are in, and one major Netflix thriller has claimed the top spot once again. With billions of minutes watched, this final season made a powerful return, easily beating out the competition.

Several other fan favorites, including a Star Wars series and a post-apocalyptic drama, also saw big jumps in viewership. Below is a full list of the week’s most-watched shows and movies in the U.S., based on Nielsen’s latest streaming rankings.

10. NCIS (659M minutes)

NCIS was the 10th most-watched show across all streaming services that week, accumulating 659 million minutes. NCIS remained a popular binge-watch choice, helped by its large episode library and wide availability across major platforms.

9. The Rookie (670M minutes)

The Rookie was watched for 670 million minutes during the week. It was the 9th most-watched streaming show in the U.S. at that time. The sudden jump in...

Netflix continues to deliver action-packed thrills, and clearly audiences cannot get enough, with the streamer’s latest action thriller hit smashing through records and climbing its way up the all-time top 10. Released on Netflix at the end of April, Exterritorial offers a female-led take on Liam Neeson’s Taken...but with even more twists and turns.

Led by Barbarians and The 15:17 to Paris star Jeanne Goursaud as a former elite soldier who finds herself at the center of a conspiracy when her son mysteriously goes missing, Exterritorial has now entered Netflix's all-time most-watched list for non-English films, joining the likes of other action outings as Ad Vitam, Counterattack, Bullet Train Explosion, and The Shadow Strays.

During its first two weeks, Exterritorial dominated the streamer, taking the #1 spot and boasting 62 million views (via What’s on Netflix). The action thriller now holds the eighth position in the all-time top 10, but...

A bilingual action thriller climbs Netflix's global chart as one of the biggest non-English movies of all time in just two weeks. Following the releases of non-English movies Bullet Train Explosion, Lost Bullet, Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins, and more, the streamer has seen a few exceptional new movies claiming the top spots on its charts. For example, the freshly released Spanish romantic drama Bad Influence, which follows an ex-con's messy romance with a wealthy heiress, has become the No. 1 most popular movie in 10 countries within a week of its release.

In the U.S., this week's most popular movies include a few brand new titles, including Vince Vaughn's highly rated comedy Nonnas, Tom Hardy's Havoc, and the French action thriller Last Bullet. However, while those titles are all performing quite strongly, it's a new German action movie that has made it onto Netflix's all-time chart.

Exterritorial...

Bilingual thriller Exterritorial climbs to #1 in a day!(Photo Credit –Netflix)

Netflix might still be the home of spooky teens and supernatural towns, but its spotlight has been drifting steadily eastward and further out into the world. In 2025, its appetite for international content is stronger than ever, especially when it comes to K-dramas. That’s hardly surprising given its past wins with titles like When Life Gives You Tangerines and Revelations.

Now, with Squid Game gearing up for its third season later this year, the Korean wave on Netflix isn’t losing momentum any time soon. But Korea isn’t the only passport stamp in Netflix’s growing collection. Its catalog of non-English-language films is thriving as well. Take Under Paris, for example. That French shark thriller became the second most-watched non-English language movie in Netflix’s history, racking up over 102 million views.

Just ahead of it is Troll from Norway,...

Exterritorial is a 2025 German action thriller directed by Christian Zübert, now streaming on Netflix. The film follows Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier, as she searches for her missing son within the confines of the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, uncovering a dark conspiracy along the way. The movie has garnered attention for its intense action sequences and gripping storyline. In the following article, we take a look at the cast of Exterritorial.

Exterritorial Main Cast & Characters: Jeanne Goursaud as Sara Wulf

Jeanne Goursaud portrays Sara Wulf, a former German Special Forces operative grappling with Ptsd. When her son disappears during a visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate, Sara’s relentless search leads her into a web of deceit and danger. Goursaud is known for her role in Barbarians.

Dougray Scott as Erik Kynch

Dougray Scott plays Erik Kynch, the Regional Security Officer at the consulate. Kynch harbors...

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Exterritorial is a German action thriller film written and directed by Christian Zübert. The 2025 film follows Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier visiting the US consulate with her son. When Sara’s son suddenly vanishes, she illegally stays on the premises to find her son, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud, Dougray Scott, Lera Abova, Kayode Akinyemi, and Lara Babalola. So, if you loved the brutal action, thrilling drama, and compelling characters in Exterritorial, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Extraction (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Extraction is an action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave from a screenplay by Joe Russo. Based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo, the 2020 film follows Tyler Rake, an Australian mercenary who is hired to...

Once in a while, a non-English language comes to Netflix that blows the viewers’ minds, and fans have found the movie of the season. German language movie Exterritorial has dethroned Tom Hardy’s action-packed feature Havoc in its second week. Exterritorial is an action feature, starring Jeanne Goursaud as a mother and former soldier whose son vanished inside a US consulate, and she does everything to find him. The movie has been at the top spot in 74 countries. In contrast, Hardy’s Havoc, another long-awaited action flick, enjoyed the top spot for a week and is now on #2.

The film, directed and written by Christian Zübert, follows a former Special Forces soldier, Sara (Goursaud), who is turning a new leaf as she heads to the US Consulate General in Frankfurt to obtain a work visa. She and her son, Josh (Rickson Guy da Silva), are planning a move to America...

Netflix continues to release original movies and TV shows at a regular cadence. The streamer recently released titles like The Electric State (2025) and The Life List (2025), with Havoc starring Tom Hardy marking one of Netflix's most recent films. Havoc reviews weren't glowing from critics or audiences, but the gritty action movie has been a big viewership hit, topping the charts upon its release on April 25.

Though Havoc and many of the streamer's other big titles are presented in English, Netflix is a platform with a global reach, meaning non-English titles continue to be an important part of the service's offerings. Recently, Netflix released non-English titles like iHostage (2025), Demon City (2025), Counterattack (2025), Bullet Train Explosion (2025), and The Eternaut (2025–). Now, another recent non-English title has broken through.

Exterritorial Has Become A Major Global Hit For Netflix The Bilingual Thriller Just Beat Havoc

Exterritorial has just become a major Netflix global hit, beating some major titles.

Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the most-watched movie on Netflix changing as quickly as it takes you to press play. At the end of April, the Tom Hardy-led actioner "Havoc" held strong in the top spot among the streamers' programming in the U.S., but according to viewership aggregate site FlixPatrol, it's since been unseated from number one by the new German thriller "Exterritorial."

Written and directed by Christian Zübert, "Exterritorial" stars "Barbarians" actress Jeanne Goursaud as a mother on the hunt for her missing kid. The twist? The child apparently disappeared inside a U.S. consulate building in Germany, and Goursaud's Sara has to bend and break more than a few rules to find him. Fortunately, Sara is an ex-Special Forces officer, so she's equipped to fight her way through the consulate building and get to the bottom of her son's disappearance – potentially...

Netflix might have gained popularity as a studio with popular series like Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Bridgerton, but the streamer has also focused on giving a platform to foreign titles. After Squid Game's undeniable success, Netflix further branched out with many new foreign films and TV shows that were extremely popular online.

Netflix non-English language movies have received millions of views in the past year, with Under Paris reaching the top of the charts, and being joined in the Top 10 list by this year's French action movie Ad Vitam and Mexican military film Counterattack. It also found success with titles like Revelations, the Swedish limited series The Glass Dome and the Dutch thriller iHostage. Now, the bilingual German-English action thriller Exterritorial beat Tom Hardy's Havoc to the top of the charts after just one day on the platform, per FlixPatrol.

Exterritorial premiered on Netflix on Apr. 30, just five days after Havoc.

Netflix’s new German thriller, “Exterritorial” (2025), is a glossy addition to the catalogue of forgettable action capers. Despite an earnestly convincing lead performance from Jeanne Goursaud as Sara Wulf, where she navigates locked corridors and conniving manipulation with equal ease, the film channels an undercurrent too derivative to be taken seriously. Written and directed by Christian Zubert, “Exterritorial” has international espionage with a dose of “Die Hard”-like rescue tension. The film also puts an additional layer of paranoia, which makes Sara and the audience question the authenticity of the events. Let us look into the details of the film’s twists and turns.

Exterritorial (2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

Sara Wulf (Jeanne Goursaud), a former soldier from the German Special Forces, walks into the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt with her six-year-old son, Josh. Little does she know that she just walked into a carefully constructed trap. Josh’s father,...

Tom Hardy’s new action movie has been streaming on Netflix for a week, but fans are already starting to lose interest in the film. Things didn’t look all that bad for Havoc the day before its debut — it landed with a solid score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes — but the feedback from general audiences has told a different story. The audience score on the aggregate site currently sits at 39%, making it one of the lowest-rated movies of Tom Hardy’s career. Havoc spent less than a week in the #1 spot on Netflix, and its descent has already begun. The film has dropped to the #2 spot on the streamer’s top 10, now falling behind Exterritorial, the mystery action thriller written and directed by Christian Zübert.

For the Tom Hardy fans who perhaps didn’t enjoy Havoc but are looking for something else to watch, look no further than MobLand.

Netflix continues to deliver exactly what many action movie fans are looking for with its latest foray into the genre, which is streaming on the platform now. Taking its cues from the beloved Liam Neeson-led action thriller Taken, but with more twists and turns, Exterritorial follows a former soldier with a violent past who finds herself taking on the system when her son mysteriously goes missing. The reviews for Exterritorial have now started to emerge, and it certainly sounds like the streamer has another action movie hit on their hands...

Written and directed by Christian Zübert, Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud (Barbarians) as Netflix's new action hero Sara Wulf, a former soldier and single mother, alongside Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II) in his first German-speaking role as chief of security Erik Kynch. The rest of the cast includes Lera Abova (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin), Kayode Akinyemi (Vikings: Valhalla), Annabelle Mandeng...

When I first came across Exterritorial (2025), I was drawn in by the mix of international politics, smuggling, and high-stakes human drama. Directed by Christian Zübert, the film centers around a father desperately trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter across hostile borders, diving deep into moral gray areas and the limits people will cross for family. What sets it apart is how grounded it feels — part thriller, part emotional gut-punch — all wrapped in a slow-burning, tense atmosphere. If you’re on the hunt for movies like Exterritorial that tap into those same feelings of dread, suspense, and ethical dilemmas, here are some powerful picks that hit close to the same emotional and thematic territory.

Prisoners

If you liked Exterritorial that explore how far a parent would go when their child is in danger, Prisoners is a no-brainer. This one hits hard emotionally, just like Exterritorial, because it’s not just about...

Netflix debuted a twisty new thriller yesterday and it’s already claimed the top spot on the platform. The film in question is Exterritorial, which actually sounds a little like a German-language reimagining of the 2005 film Flightplan. I haven’t checked out Exterritorial yet, but I couldn’t help noticing that both pictures feature a similar skeletal outline. Each sees a frenzied mother looking for a lost child whose existence no one seems to have any recollection of. Flightplan was a smash hit at the box office in 2005, and Exterritorial is following suit by tearing up the Netflix charts immediately after premiering on the platform.

Similarities to the Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan aside, Netflix subscribers are responding to Exterritorial with ample enthusiasm. Some viewers have even taken to social media to share their reactions, the majority of which skew quite positive. You can scope a sampling of responses from viewers directly below.

Sara’s world collapses under the vaulted ceilings of a German-built U.S. consulate, where her son vanishes as if erased by sovereign decree. In this claustrophobic thriller, every corridor becomes a battleground between maternal instinct and institutional power—a tension born from the collision of German filmmaking’s gritty realism and Hollywood’s sleek, high-stakes spectacle.

An ex-Special Forces soldier haunted by an Afghanistan mission, Sara (Jeanne Goursaud) arrives with six-year-old Josh to secure a work visa—only to discover that within these walls, American law reigns and her own memories can be weaponized against her. Under Christian Zübert’s dual role as writer and director, Exterritorial fuses handheld-camera immediacy with meticulously staged fight choreography, while the setting itself—steel-edged hallways, bilingual signage, security checkpoints—underscores the uneasy idea of “exterritorial” ground.

Co-stars Dougray Scott, Lera Abova, and newcomer Rickson Guy da Silva populate this tense microcosm with loyalty,...

Amid all sorts of brilliant filmmakers creating movies that touch you and present a new cinematic experience, I feel a good action movie full of tropes can be a good change of pace. Christian Zübert’s new Netflix release, Exterritorial, is a blend of seamless action sequences, crisp editing, and a genuinely brilliant Jeanne Goursaud kicking butt on repeat. So here we are discussing everything that happens in this latest Netflix film.

Spoilers Ahead

What happens in the movie?

Sara Wulf, a Bundeswehr veteran (German ex-military), and her son, Joshua, visit the US Consulate in Frankfurt, hoping that Sara can get an H1 work visa. A little background on Sara: her husband perished in battle, and the Taliban helicopter that bombed her squad and husband has left a deep scar in Sara’s heart. She suffers from Ptsd, and she gets triggered by helicopters and narrow hallways, the last two...

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...

When a boy disappears inside the US Consulate, his mother — a former elite soldier — embarks on a nerve-racking search through a labyrinth of deception. As she battles against consulate officials, the ex-Special Forces officer uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. The action thriller Exterritorial, from writer and director Christian Zübert, stars Jeanne Goursaud and Dougray Scott.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Sara Wulf (Goursaud), a former Special Forces soldier who served in Afghanistan, is turning a new leaf as she heads to the US Consulate General in Frankfurt to obtain a work visa. She and her son, Josh (da Silva), are planning a move to America. But while the pair are at the consulate, Josh goes missing without a trace. Not only that, but building officials swear the child was never there to begin with. As she’s interviewed by regional...

Don’t underestimate her. Netflix continues to fight the good fight for no-nonsense action movie magic, unleashing a new trailer for this month’s Taken-esque action thriller, Exterritorial. Following a former Special Forces soldier who is forced to resurrect her particular set of kills after her son mysteriously disappears inside the U.S. consulate, the action outing promises all the gritty fist fights, glorious gunplay, and political intrigue that any action movie fan could possibly want. You can check out the new trailer for Exterritorial below.

Written and directed by Christian Zübert, Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud (Barbarians) as lead character and new action hero Sara, alongside Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II) in his first German-speaking role as chief of security Erik Kynch. The rest of the cast includes Lera Abova (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin), Kayode Akinyemi (Vikings: Valhalla), Annabelle Mandeng (Unknown), Samuel Tehrani (Runny Dry), Jeremy Schuetze (Jennifer’s Body...

"She's a fighter." "I underestimated you." Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for an action thriller movie called Exterritorial, made by German filmmaker Christian Zübert. Ready for release on Netflix at the end of April - for anyone who wants to take a look. Maybe it'll be entertaining? When a former Special Forces soldier's son vanishes without a trace at the US consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, she illegally remains on the premises to search for him, unknowingly entangling herself in a dangerous conspiracy. She embarks on a nerve-wracking search for her son. The title Exterritorial is a word that means "existing or taking place outside the territorial limits of a jurisdiction." Obviously enough. Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud as Sara, with Dougray Scott, Lera Abova, Kayode Akinyemi, & Annabelle Mandeng. This looks super cheesy and so generic, yet another Netflix streaming action movie that'll be forgotten a week after it debuts. // Continue...

Netflix continues to fight the good fight for no-nonsense action movie magic, with the streaming giant having now revealed the release date for what could easily be their next action thriller smash hit. Now all set to be unleashed next month, Exterritorial sounds like it could be the next Taken, as a former Special Forces soldier is forced to resurrect her particular set of kills after her son mysteriously goes missing.

According to Netflix, the German action outing, which has been made in conjunction with Constantin Television (Dear Child), is due to be released on the streamer on April 30, 2025. Written and directed by Christian Zübert, Exterritorial promises to be as gripping as Liam Neeson’s action movie magnum opus, and you can check out the official synopsis for Exterritorial below.

“On a visit to the US consulate in Frankfurt, the young son of former Special Forces soldier Sara (Jeanne Goursaud) suddenly disappears without a trace.

Netflix has furthered its commitment to German production with an expanded slate of local projects.

At a showcase event in Berlin last night (March 13), Netflix announced a number of new titles, including feature Brick, which is currently being filmed and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau.

Brick, about the residents of an apartment seeking a way out when their building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall, is written and directed by Philip Koch and produced through Nocturna Productions and W&b Television.

Netflix’s focus on the German market is notable for coming at a time...

Confirming Germany’s importance as a growth market, Netfix on Wednesday announced 17 new and returning shows and movies produced by some of the country’s leading producers, including docuseries “Kaulitz & Kaulitz,” about the Tokio Hotel popstar siblings, and sci-fi drama “Cassandra,” about an overzealous electronic household helper.

Netflix presented 17 feature films, series, documentaries and reality shows at a special event in Berlin.

“We have seen again and again how local stories can captivate viewers here and around the world,” said Katja Hofem, Netflix’s VP of content for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We aim to continue this successful journey together with our partners, sharing a common goal of creating exceptional entertainment that moves and inspires people.”

Produced by Constantin Entertainment and premiering in June, “Kaulitz & Kaulitz” accompanies Tokio Hotel frontmen Bill and Tom Kaulitz, twin brothers from Magdeburg, Germany, on tour with their band and in their new home in Hollywood.

International feature film and commercial content group Iconoclast and Berlin-based StickUp Films have established a new joint venture to produce feature films and series for the domestic and international markets.

Represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the new shingle, Iconoclast Films Germany, is aiming to produce a minimum of three film or series projects annually within a five-year ramp-up period.

The company is headed by Luis Singer and Dennis Schanz of StickUp Films – the creators and co-producers of Netflix’s award-winning series “Skylines” — as well as Iconoclast executive producer Swantje Rummel.

Iconoclast sees the new venture as part of its international content strategy and a logical extension of its brand. In addition to producing recent works by the likes of Gus Van Sant, Julian Schnabel (“At Eternity’s Gate”), Harmony Korine (“The Beach Bum”) and Romain Gavras (“The World Is Yours”) through its companies in the U.S. and France, Iconoclast...

Sales agent Global Screen has kicked off sales for German thriller “The Collini Case,” starring Elyas M’Barek, the star of the hit “Fack Ju Göhte,” franchise, and produced by Constantin Film.

Arp Selection has acquired all rights for France and is planning a wide release at the end of year. Constantin will give the film a wide release in Germany in April. Global Screen is in negotiations with buyers from other territories.

The film centers on attorney Caspar Leinen, who takes on the defense of the suspect in a spectacular murder case. This leads him to unearth one of the greatest legal scandals ever in Germany, with its roots in the Nazi era.

The script is by Christian Zübert, Robert Gold and Jens Frederik Otto, adapted from Ferdinand von Schirach’s novel. The film is directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner. It was co-produced by Seven Pictures.

The film also stars...

TBS has snagged German comedy-drama “Arthur’s Law” from its Turner stablemate TNT in Germany. The U.S. channel has taken the finished show subtitled in English, as well as the option to remake it locally.

TNT has been moving into originals in Germany with the acclaimed drug-trafficking drama “4 Blocks” on TNT Serie and “Arthur’s Law” on the TNT Comedy channel. “Arthur’s Law” follows unemployed Arthur Ahnepol (Jan Josef Liefers), who wants his obnoxious wife to die to claim the life insurance and start a new life with his mistress, which sets off a series of disastrous events.

The series, which is directed by Christian Zübert (“Lommbock”), has been nominated for several TV awards in Germany. Martina Gedeck (“The Lives of Others”) and Nora Tschirner (“Rabbit Without Ears”) star alongside Liefers in the German series.

“The tale of our anti-hero Arthur can be applied universally, and we are...

TBS is set to remake German comedy Arthur’s Law – the first original comedy from Turner’s German network TNT Comedy.

The U.S. cable network has secured the rights to the project, which is known locally as Arthurs Gesetz, from its parent company. It has picked up the format rights to the series as well as the rights to run the German version with subtitles.

The comedy follows unemployed Arthur Ahnepol, played by Jan Josef Liefers, who ekes out a bleak existence. Drawn from the strains of his unhappy marriage and bored to death, he makes a morbid plan: he wants his obnoxious wife to die. With the money from the life insurance there’s no obstacle for a restart with his beloved mistress. But an unwritten law dominates the life of the unlucky fellow: every problem solved by Arthur has a far worse effect. And so, he sets...

Laszlo Nemes wins best director for Son of Saul; Mediterranea wins best first film.

The Stockholm International Film Festival awarded its Bronze Horse award for best film to Joachim Trier’s Louder Than Bombs.

The jury – comprised of producer Mimmi Spång, director Peter Grönlund, director Christian Zübert, director Di Phan Dang, and director Arab Nasser – said the film was an “aesthetic masterpiece, a film that innovatively uses all cinematic components to move freely between present, past, dream and imagination. With this tightly woven family drama, the director gradually patches together our broken inner places and makes us visible to ourselves – and to each other.”

The other prize winners were:

Best first film: Mediterranea by Jonas Carpignano

Best director: László Nemes, Son of Saul

Best script: Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Alice Winocour, Mustang

Best cinematography: Manuel Dacosse, Evolution

Best actress: Julija Steponaityte, The Summer of Sangaile

Best actor: Koudous Seihon, Mediterranea

Best...

Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up

The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.

The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.

It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.

The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.

Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...

Films set to show at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), updated as announcements are made in the run up to the event.

Tiff will open on September 10 with Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts.

Tiff 40

Key: Wp = world premiere; Nap = North American premiere; IP = international premiere; Cp = Canadian premiere.

GALASBeeba Boys (Canada), Deepa Mehta, WPDemolition, Jean-Marc Vallée WPDisorder (Maryland) (France-Belgium), Alice Winocour NAPThe Dressmaker (Aus), Jocelyn Moorhouse, WPEye In The Sky (UK), Gavin Hood WPForsaken (Canada), Jon Cassar, WPFreeheld (Us), Peter Sollett, WPHyena Road (Canada), Paul Gross, WPLolo (France), Julie Delpy, NAPLegend (UK), Brian Helgeland, IPMan Down (Us), Dito Montiel NAPThe Man Who Knew Infinity (UK), Matt Brown, WPThe Martian (Us), Ridley Scott, WPMiss You Already (UK), Catherine Hardwicke WPMississippi Grind (Us), Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden CPMr. Right (Us), Paco Cabezas WPThe Program (UK), Stephen Frears, WPRemember (Canada), Atom Egoyan, NAPSeptembers Of Shiraz (Us), Wayne Blair, WPStonewall ([link...

Anne Sewitsky‘s Sundance preemed Homesick, Cannes preemed Romanian imports from Radu Muntean‘s One Floor Below and Corneliu Porumboiu‘s The Treasure along with Athina Rachel Tsangari‘s Locarno shown Chevalier are just four of the film titles in the just announced Contemporary World Cinema programme for Tiff. Among the other noteworthy titles in what is mostly a mix of world preems and North American premieres we find Grímur Hákonarson‘s Rams (just picked up by Cohen Media), Alex van Warmerdam well-received Locarno comedy Schneider vs. Bax , the world preem for Sion Sono’s The Whispering Star, and the Oscilloscope Laboratories picked up Ciro Guerra‘s Embrace Of The Serpent. Here are today’s selections that were added to the already announced Canadian items.

25 April (New Zealand), Leanne Pooley Wp

3000 Nights (Palestine-France-Jordan-Lebanon-uae-Qatar), Mai Masri Wp

An (Japan-France-Germany), Naomi Kawase Nap

The Apostate (Spain-France-Uruguay), Federico Veiroj Wp

As I Open...

Due to the large volume of films that the Toronto International Film Festival screens every year, participants often find themselves unsure of how to decide what to see. To that end, festival organisers often distribute the films into numerous programmes to reflect commonalities among them. The Contemporary World Cinema Programme, to that end, looks at the features from filmmakers from around the world, showcasing the talents being displayed from numerous countries.

The full lineup for the 2015 Tiff Contemporary World Cinema Programme has now been announced, adding to the previously announced slate of Canadian Films in the Programme. The films, as well as their official synopses, can be seen below.

25 April, directed by Leanne Pooley, making its World Premiere

Award-winning filmmaker Leanne Pooley utilizes the letters and memoirs of New Zealand soldiers and nurses along with state of the art animation to tell the true story of the 1915 battle of Gallipoli.

Potential awards season contenders Truth from James Vanderbilt and Marc Abraham’s I Saw The Light starring Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams land world premiere slots, while Paco Cabezas’s Mr. Right will close the festival.

London is the subject of the seventh annual City To City programme that features world premieres of Tom Geens’ Couple In A Hole starring Paul Higgins and Kate Dickie and Michael Caton-Jones’ Urban Hymn with Letitia Wright and Shirley Henderson. Elaine Constantine’s Northern Soul gets a North American premiere.

The world premiere of Catherine Hardwicke’s Miss You Already is among five additions to the galas alongside Mr. Right, an action comedy starring Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.

Matthew Cullen’s Martin Amis adaptation London Fields and David Gordon Green’s Our Brand Is Crisis get first public screenings in the Special Presentations roster with I Saw The Light.

Tiff top brass also unveiled the Contemporary World Cinema section, featuring...

German distributor of Southpaw, Transcendence to return to production.

German distributor Tobis Film is to return to production after more than a decade’s absence following the arrival of two new shareholders, Timm Oberwelland and Peter Eiff.

According to Tobis - distributor of titles including 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle and upcoming Antoine Fuqua action-drama Southpaw - the company’s new shareholder structure will see the outfit become more active in the production of German-language films and international co-productions alongside the company’s core activities of film distribution, home entertainment and TV licensing in the German-speaking territories.

Founded in 1972 by the late film producer-distributor Horst Wendlandt, Tobis Film had made its first foray into production after StudioCanal took a 60% stake in the Berlin-based company in February 2000.

Under the management of Haig Balian and Albert Wiederspiel, the renamed Tobis StudioCanal (Tsc) was involved via its in-house production arm in the co-production of such local titles as Edward Berger’s [link...

Kino!, a celebration of contemporary German films, returns to New York for its 36th edition, setting up shop at Cinema Village in the West Village for the second year, April 9 - 16. Selected from across the great expanse of different genres and from seasoned directors and newcomers alike, this year's edition features 10 features and 8 shorts, including new works from Christoph Hochäusler (The City Below, I am Guilty), Christian Zübert (Three Quarter Moon) and TV veteran Uwe Janson, as well as from rising stars Baran bo Odar (The Silence), Philippe Lienemann, Stephan Altricher and Neele Leana Vollmar (Vacation from Life).In addition to the screenings, there will be panel discussions at Goethe Institut and Deutsches Haus for Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery and The...

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

Now in its second year as an independent festival, Kino! will showcase ten feature-length films, with four North American premieres and six East Coast debuts, plus the German Short Film Night at the Cinema Village in Lower Manhattan. Trailers rounded up below. Organized by German Films, Kino! kicks off April 9 with Christian Zübert's "Tour de Force," a dramedy that follows a group of German friends biking across Belgium. Variety writes that the film, which played Toronto, Miami and elsewhere, "stands a solid chance at being one of [Germany's] more successful pics." Mark Monheim's coming-of-age drama "About a Girl," picked up by Global Screen for worldwide distribution, turns on a 15-year-old mortuary apprentice whose failed suicide attempts leads her to finding romance. Christoph Hochhäusler mines "All the President's Men" territory with his political thriller "The Lies of the Victors," an acclaimed Rome premiere with...

Exclusive: Tour de Force director to adapt Tc Boyle’s cult novel Water Music.

Tour de Force’s Christian Zübert is looking to make his first English-language directorial debut with an adaptation of Tc Boyle’s cult novel Water Music.

Boyle’s semi-fictional historical adventure novel is set in the late 18th and early 19th century, following the parallel adventures and intertwining fates of its protagonists, the fictional petty criminal Ned Rise and the famous Scottish-born explorer Mungo Park who led expeditions into Western Africa.

Speaking exclusively to Screen ahead of Tour de Force’s North American premiere at Tiff tonight [Sept 8], Zübert said that Water Music is “a combination of Indiana Jones in Africa and an 18th century Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It’s really off-the-wall and very emotional. I think it would now be the time where one could make this film thanks to the possibilities of digital technology.”

Zübert is currently...

Nearly 30 sales companies receive financial backing to market their films in Toronto.

A total of 28 sales companies from eight European countries are to receive financial backing from to market their films at the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14) from European Film Promotion’s Film Sales Support scheme.

More than €150,000 ($200,000) in total is being reserved by Efp for Europe’s attending sales companies.

European films eligible for Fss support have to run in the festival and need to be available for Canada. Of the 39 supported films, 27 are receiving their world premiere in Toronto.

Amongst them are François Ozon’s The New Girlfriend, Bent Hamer’s 1001 Grams and Susanne Bier’s A Second Chance.

Michael Winterbottom The Face Of An Angel sees German actor and former European Shooting Star Daniel Brühl in a lead role.

Foreign Body by Krzysztof Zanussi, a co-production between Poland, Italy and Russia with one-time European Shooting Star Agata Buzek in a main role...

There will again be a wide range of German films in the program when the Venice International Film Festival opens its doors for the 71st time on 27 August 2014 as the world's oldest existing film festival. "The Cut" by Fatih Akin (De/Fr/It/Ru/Pl/Jo/Tr, bombero international, Pandora Filmproduktion, corazón international) will have its world premiere in the Venezia 71 Competition. The competition for the Golden Lion also includes the debut film by the German-Turkish filmmaker Kaan Müjdeci "Sivas" (Tr/De, Müjdeci GmbH) and two other German co-productions. The director Philip Gröning is a member of the jury. The Venice Classics will be presenting "From Caligari to Hitler" by Rüdiger Suchsland (Looks Filmproduktionen). The up-and-coming generation of German filmmakers was also invited: "The Council of Birds," the first feature film by Timm Kröger (Filmakademie Baden-württemberg), will screen as a world premiere in the competition of the International Film Critics’ Week. The independent sidebar has also invited the German co-production "Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere" by Diep Hoang Nguyen (Vn/Fr/No/De, Filmallee) which was financed with support from the Berlinale's World Cinema Fund.

Mariette Rissenbeek, managing director of German Films: “As was also the case last year, there is a very strong presence for German cinema at the Lido, which makes us very happy. Congratulations to all of the filmmakers and their teams!“

More German films in Venice...

German cinema is also prominently represented at the most important North American festival in Toronto (4 – 14 September 2014) with a total of 31 German films and co-productions selected for the program. Christian Petzold's "Phoenix" (Schramm Film Koerner & Weber) will celebrate its world premiere in the Special Presentations. Other world premieres will be held for "Who Am I - No System is Safe" by Baran bo Odar (Wiedemann & Berg Film) and "Labyrinth of Lies" by Giulio Ricciarelli (Claussen+Wöbke+Putz, naked eye film production) in the section of Contemporary World Cinema. The same section will feature the North American premiere of "Tour de Force" by Christian Zübert (Majestic Filmproduktion). This year will again see German Films having a stand in the Industry Area.

More German films in Toronto...

Locarno’s Golden Leopard has been awarded to Filipino director Lav Diaz’s five-and-a-half-hour epic From What Is Before.Scroll down for full list of winners

The film, which has the Filipino title Mula sa kung ano ang noon, also picked up the Fipresci International Critics Prize, the Environment is Quality of Life Prize, and the International Federation of Film Societies’ (Iffs) Don Quixote Prize.

On learning that he had won Locarno’s top honour, Diaz said that he wanted to dedicate the award to his father.

“He brought me cinema, he’s a cinema addict, and he started this passion in me,” said Diaz.

“For the Filipino people, it’s for them, for their struggle, and then I would like to dedicate it to all serious filmmakers in the world, to Pedro Costa, he’s my brother and I love his work, to Matias Pineiro, and to the makers of all the other films in the...

Fund is dedicated to supporting audience development strategies; Meanwhile, Beta Cinema has acquired Toronto title Labyrinth of Lies.

The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) is launching a distribution fund dedicated to supporting audience development strategies to accompany the releases of four EU or non-eu co-productions in at least three territories

Speaking exclusively to Screen at this week’s Locarno Film Festival, Tfl’s Olga Lamontanara explained: “This initiative really completes the circle and the successful projects will be able to make use of the experiences of the alumni from our audience design course which have been working on the implementation of audience engagement strategies.”

A total of four grants, worth a maximum of €43,000 each, will be awarded in 2014/15 to feature film projects which have been previously selected and developed at one of the Tfl programmes since 2008.

“Those applying must be a producer or sales agent from a country participating in the Media sub-programme,” outlined Lamontanara...