Deadline is reporting that Daniel Bruhl (Captain America: Civil War, Rush) is set to produce and star in a new German-language adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, the first time the seminal novel will have been brought to the screen in its native language.
Written by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque, the novel tells the story of three young German men who enlist in the army and patriotically march to war, only to come to discover the true horror of the Western Front.
All Quiet on the Western Front was most famously adapted by director Lewis Milestone and producer Carl Laemmle Jr. in 1930, which was honoured with the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars at the 3rd Academy Awards.
“People want authenticity, said director Edward Berger (Deutschland 83, Patrick Melrose). “There is no way this film could be made today in a language other than German. It’s actually remarkable to think there has never been a German-language version. It’s a real hole in our film history. Telling a truthful version of the story is so important to us. We’re thinking of it as being in the tradition of movies like Downfall and Das Boot.”
“All Quiet On The Western Front may be set in 1918, but it speaks directly to our times and the divisive tone in today’s discourse,” he continued. “It is a physical, visceral and very modern film that has never been told from my country’s perspective. We now have the chance to make an anti-war film that will truly touch our audience.”
Originally published February 17, 2020. Updated February 16, 2020.
