A 8-part drama mini-series has been announced as sequel for classic 1981 movie “Das Boot” (“The Boat”). “Das Boot” is one of the most successful German films of all time. The original movie, which was also originally made as a miniseries for German TV, has grossed more than $100 million worldwide.
While the new series has a budget of 25 million euros (circa $28 million) and i set to be released in 2018, details concerning the director and cast have not yet been revealed. Filming is to take place in the Bavaria Studio near Munich.
The eight-hour series is based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s novels “Das Boot” and “Die Festung”, which have been adapted by a writing team led by Tony Saint (“Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley,” “The Interceptor”) and Johannes W. Betz (“The Tunnel,” “The Spiegel Affair”).
The 8 part mini series (around the length of 1 hour per serie) will act as a sequel to the film, picking up from events at the end of the film when U-96 returned to La Rochelle only to be hit by a severe Allied bomb raid afterwards.
Second row: Tony Saint, Moritz Polter, Christian Franckenstein, Oliver Vogel, Marcus Ammon, Carsten Schmidt. (Credits: Bavaria Film / Viviana Simon)
The new series, however, will extend that perspective to include characters from the French resistance, who help the Allies in targeting the German military. The producers say the series will have a strong, anti-war message.
“Today, more than ever before, anti-war stories need to be told. The notions of war and terror are ubiquitous. The misguided actions of young men driven to commit acts of terror by false ideologies are obvious. The 1981 film Das Boot is unique, and we are approaching our work with the greatest of respect for this masterpiece. We want to build on the strong brand of Das Boot and continue telling the story in a contemporary manner by making use of every filmmaking and storytelling technique available to us today.”, said CEO Christian Franckenstein.
