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For writers and directors Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert, Wolfgang Hohlbein’s 1986 bestselling novel “Hagen von Tronje” was the ideal material to adapt not only into a feature film, but also into an epic six-part series.

The story recounts the Nibelung saga, which follows the dragon slayer Siegfried and the fate of the Burgundian kingdom, albeit from a different perspective – that of Hagen von Tronje, traditionally the antagonist of the tale, seen as a dark figure with dubious motives.

Bathing in the blood of the slain dragon is said to make Siegfried (Jannis Niewöhner) ​​invulnerable.

In “Hagen,” which premieres at the Zurich Film Festival, the titular character (played by Dutch actor Gijs Naber) is lord commander to King Gunter (Dominic Marcus Singer) of Burgundy. With his sense of duty and iron determination, it is Hagen who holds the crisis-ridden kingdom together.

A loyal servant, disciplined and rational, Hagen faces a grave challenge when the bold,...

The Zurich Film Festival kicks off its 20th edition Thursday with a lineup of new European discoveries, some of the most acclaimed films of the year, a new center and wide-ranging industry forum.

In addition to an impressive roster of international stars, including Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Richard Gere and Pamela Anderson, the event offers a deep dive into some of the most pressing issues facing the industry at its annual Zurich Summit Conference.

Opening the fest will be Justin Kurzel’s neo-Nazi thriller “The Order,” starring Law, who will receive the festival’s Golden Eye career achievement award.

Organizers this year have streamlined the festival, eliminating its German-language Focus Competition and trimming the lineup down to 107 films, 41 fewer than last year. Zurich now has just two main competitions, for feature films and documentaries, in addition to such sidebars as Gala Premieres, Signatures, Border Lines, Hashtag #BigCityLife, Sounds and Zff for Kids.

The Zurich Film Festival has lined up world premieres of Constantin Film’s fantasy drama Hagen and western The Unholy Trinity starring Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson as part of its Gala programme.

Two Swiss productions - Frieda’s Case by Maria Brendle and Aiming High - A Race Against The Limits by Flavio Gerber and Alun Meyerhans – will also world premiere in the ten strong Gala section.

Produced by Constantin, Hagen is a reimagining of the medieval Nibelungen folk saga directed by Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stenner. As well as a feature, it has been made as a six-part series.

Constantin Film has released the first images from Hagen, its hotly-anticipated new fantasy drama, which is looking to tap into the global Game of Thrones and Vikings fan base with a swords-and-magic tale inspired by the Teutonic Nibelungen saga.

Fremantle has picked up worldwide distribution rights outside German-speaking territories to the series from Constantin. Fremantle parent Rtl Group holds German streaming and free TV rights.

The series is based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s Hagen von Tronje, a reimagining of the Niebelungen saga, the medieval German folk tale considered the inspiration for such modern-day fantasy epics as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings.

Hagen follows the story of the soldier Hagen, the legendary dragon slayer Siegfried, the princess warrior Kriemhild, and the magical Valkyrie queen Brunhild in a tale of love, family, power and war that ends —this is a Germanic tale after all — catastrophically.

Gijs Naber (The Story of My Wife...

Fremantle has acquired worldwide rights, excluding German-speaking territories, to Constantin Film’s fantasy drama Hagen (working title) that is being made as both a feature and a six-part TV series.

The Rtl group, also Fremantle’s parent company, holds German streaming and free TV rights.

Hagen is based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s novel Hagen von Tronje and is styled as a reimagining of the medieval Nibelungen folk saga. The story is widely considered to be one of the inspirations behind J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings.

The epic adventure centres on the titular soldier and commander...

Fremantle has acquired worldwide rights excluding German-speaking territories to Constantin Film’s fantasy drama Hagen (working title) and released first-look images.

The deal will see Fremantle produce a feature film and a television series of six one-hour episodes. Rtl group holds German streaming and free TV rights.

Fremantle will showcase Hagen as one of its key scripted drama titles at Fremantle Presents on Friday (March 1) as part of London TV Screenings 2024.

Hagen is based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s novel Hagen von Tronje and is styled as a reimagining of the medieval Nibelungen folk saga. The story is widely considered...

Here’s a first look at Hagen (working title), the German-Czech fantasy drama epic, which now counts Fremantle as its worldwide distributor.

Based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s bestselling novel ‘Hagen von Tronje’, the series is a reimagining of the medieval Nibelungen folk saga, which is widely considered as an inspiration behind modern fantasy franchises such as George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings.

Super-indie Fremantle has jumped to acquire rights outside of German-speaking territories, with the agreement covering the six-part series and accompanying feature film. Fremantle’s stablemate at German conglomerate Bertelsmann, Rtl, has German streaming and TV rights.

Fremantle plans to launch the series at its Fremantle Presents showcase this Friday (March 1) at the London TV Screenings. This follows an agreement between Rebecca Dundon on behalf of Fremantle and Friedrich Radmann on behalf of Constantin Film.

The series is billed...

Fremantle revealed Wednesday that it has secured worldwide distribution rights, outside of German-speaking territories, to the premium fantasy drama “Hagen” — a working title — from Constantin Film. The deal includes rights to a six-part series and a feature film for theatrical release. Rtl Group holds German streaming and free TV rights.

Fremantle will be showcasing “Hagen” as one of its key scripted drama titles at Fremantle Presents this Friday as part of London TV Screenings.

“Hagen,” which is based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s bestselling novel “Hagen von Tronje,” is a reimagining of the medieval “Nibelungen” folk saga. The story is considered to be one of the inspirations behind modern fantasies such as “Game of Thrones” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

The show centers on dutiful soldier Hagen and Siegfried, the legendary dragon slayer. Hagen, bound by loyalty to the kingdom, is Lord Commander, ready to serve and stand by his king.

Stephen Graham To Star In ITV Neo-Nazi Drama ‘The Walk-In’

ITV’s has ordered a five-part drama, The Walk-In, a true story of how a Neo-Nazi plan to kill an MP was foiled by an inside man. Stephen Graham will star in the ITV Studios series from writer Jeff Pope as activist Matthew Collins, a reformed Neo-Nazi, now working as a bona fide journalist for the anti-racist organisation Hope Not Hate. Bafta-award winning director Paul Andrew Williams directs the series, reuniting him with Pope — the pair has worked together previously on A Confession and Isolation Stories. They are both executive producers alongside Graham and another regular collaborator, Tom Dunbar. Jo Johnson is producing. Filming for The Walk-In tookin London and surrounding areas and the drama will air on ITV on Monday October 3 for five consecutive weeks. ITV Studios has International distribution.

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Constantin Film has unveiled the main cast for Hagen, its ambitious new fantasy series, billed as a reinterpretation of the Nibelungenlied, the German folk saga often cited as an inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Dutch actor Gijs Naber (Blackbook, The Story of My Wife) will star as the titular Hagen von Tronje in the project, alongside Jannis Niewöhner (Berlin Station, Amazon’s Beat) as his antagonist, the nearly-invincible hero Siegfried. Lilja van der Zwaag will play princess Kriemhild, Rosalinde Mynster the Valkyrie Brunhild, while Dominic Marcus Singer will take on the role of King Gunter.

Dark actress Jördis Triebel and Jörg Hartmann (The Weissensee Saga) have supporting roles.

The Nibelungen saga has been adapted many times before, most famously in a series of two classic films from Fritz Lang in the 1920s. A TV movie version, in 2004, starred Kristanna Loken Brunhild,...

This of course took place before Covid happened. But there is little reason to think that Constantin Television’s goals will have changed with coronavirus.

On Feb. 24, on the first day of the Berlinale Series Market, Oliver Berben, Constantin head of TV, entertainment and digital media, took to the stage to host a Constantin Television showcase.

It packed a major new show announcement: “The Palace,” produced for Zdf, an identical twin period drama, set just before the fall of the wall, from Uli Edel, director of 1981 movie German classic “Christine F,” Constantin’s first big international breakout, and a string of more recent series hits for the company, such as “Adlon Hotel” and “The Master Butcher.”

Rodica Doehnert (“Adlon Hotel”) serves as lead writer. Kathrin Bullemer and Rüdiger Böss produce. Global Screen handles worldwide distribution.

A sizzle reel served to introduce a new TV adaptation, which wrapped its shoot in February,...

Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert, the creators of Sky hit series “Pagan Peak,” will direct “Hagen Von Tronje,” based on the Wolfgang Hohlbein bestseller, a reinterpretation of the Nibelungen saga. Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben will produce the project for Constantin Film as both a feature-length film and a six-part series. Production will start next year.

Hohlbein, whose book was published in 1986, turns the constellation of the Nibelungen saga – best known as the inspiration for Richard Wagner’s operatic cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen” – upside down in order to focus on the story’s core messages: any means are justified in the struggle for power, and love is a more powerful weapon than the sword.

Hagen von Tronje, the dark knight of the Nibelungen saga, becomes a lonely hero. The last of the Vikings, allied with the ancient gods, he stands for courage, loyalty and individual freedom. Siegfried, the ruler of the Nibelungen,...

Eichinger’s Hands Of A Mother won three prizes at the German Cinema New Talent Awards.

Florian Eichinger’s third feature Hands Of A Mother (Die Hände meiner Mutter) was the big winner at this year’s German Cinema New Talent Awards held during the 34th edition of Filmfest München (23 June - 2 July) which ended at the weekend with the international premiere of Matt Ross’ Captain Fantastic.

Eichinger received the £33k (€30k) award for Best Direction, while his lead actor Andreas Döhler was named Best Actor for his performance as a man who breaks his self-denial to recall having been sexually abused as a child by his mother.

The co-production by Kinescope Film and Bergfilm with Zdf’s Das kleine Fernsehspiel unit, which is the final part of Eichinger’s trilogy about violence within the family after 2008’s Bergfest and 2013’s Nordstrand, will be released theatrically in German cinemas by Farbfilm Verleih on 1 December. International sales are...

What do you think?  Could the recent success of the Get Smart remake in the Us and the Oss 117 revival in France have inspired other nations to look into their comedic pasts?  Yes, I'd say that's a safe bet ...

Bumbling German spy Jerry Cotton - actually a German spoof on a supposedly American character - first appeared in 1965 and proved to be a huge hit, the character starring in a whopping eight features in just four years before being retired after 1969's Todesschüsse am Broadway.  But all things old are new again and Cotton's coming back.

Brought back to life by the writing-directing duo of Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert Jerry Cotton hits German screens in 2010.  You'll find the first teaser below.

Berlin -- Leading German production company Constantin Film has extended its output deal with commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 through the end of 2009.

Under the agreement, ProSieben will retain free TV rights in Germany to all Constantin productions shot next year. Highlights include "Jerry Cotton," Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert's adaptation of a best-selling series of German crime novels, and "Bushido," an "8 Mile"-style biopic based on the life of German star rapper Bushido.