Daniel Brühl will produce and star in a remake of the 1930 best picture Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front. The original film was based on a 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German World War I veteran. The book is widely regarded as the definitive anti-war statement and explores WWI through the eyes of German soldiers.
The story follows Paul Baumer, a German student inspired to join the military by his patriotic teacher, and a group of his friends as they witness, first-hand, the horrifying realities of war. Over time the physical and psychological damage inflicted by WWI takes its toll on Baumer, who watches his friends die one by one until he's the only man left standing. Eventually, Paul is killed, but not before becoming utterly numb to the loss of life, including his own. The planned remake comes on the heels of Sam Mendes' 1917, a WWI drama told in one continuous shot, which won the best motion picture drama Golden Globe this year.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that an All Quiet on the Western Front remake is in the works with a new screenplay by writers Ian Stokell and Lesley Paterson. The film will reportedly be shot entirely in German, according to BAFTA-winning director Edward Berger. "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. It is a physical, visceral and very modern film that has never been told from my country's perspective, it has never been made into a German-language film," the director told THR. "We now have the chance to make an anti-war film that will truly touch our audience."
Brühl, known to many as the MCU's Baron Zemo, is attached as executive producer and will act in the film's ensemble cast. He won't be taking the lead role, however, as casting is currently underway for Paul Baumer. The rights to the remake were acquired by Rocket Science and Amusement Park (both companies will produce the film), and a $20 million budget has been allotted for production. Amusement Park producer Malte Grunert called Berger's vision for the film "very meaningful and contemporary" and promised it would be "an impressive cinematic experience."
All Quiet on the Western Front will likely film this year and aim for a 2021 release. In the meantime, Brühl fans can catch the actor reprising his Captain America: Civil War character, Zemo, in the Disney+ MCU series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which is set to premiere on the streaming service sometime in 2020.
Source: THR