News

Das „Schuh des Manitu“-Sequel ist von der Ffa-Kommission für Produktions- und Drehbuchförderung aktuell mit einer Förderung von 675.000 Euro bedacht worden.

„Das Kanu des Manitu“ wurde aktuell von der Ffa gefördert (Credit: Constantin Film)

Die Ffa-Kommission für Produktions- und Drehbuchförderung hat aktuell an neun Spielfilm- und fünf Dokumentarfilmprojekte Fördermittel in einer Gesamthöhe von 4.415.000 Euro sowie an je sieben Drehbücher und Treatments und eine Drehbuchfortentwicklung Fördermittel in einer Gesamthöhe von 295.000 Euro vergeben; insgesamt wurde ein Fördervolumen von 4.710.000 Euro für 29 Projektebeschlossen.

Die höchste Einzelsumme geht mit 675.000 Euro an herbX film für „Das Kanu des Manitu“. Michael Bully Herbig wird das Sequel zu „Der Schuh des Manitu“ nach einem Drehbuch, das er zusammen mit Christian Tramitz und Rick Kavanian geschrieben hat, inszenieren.

652.500 Euro bekam Kordes & Kordes Film für „Die Schule der magischen Tiere 4“ zugesprochen. Beim vierten Teil der Kinderbuchverfilmung führt Bernhard Jasper Regie, das Drehbuch stammt von Mirjam Müntefering und Thorsten Näter.

Eine weitere Literaturverfilmung,...

German studio Constantin Film has greenlit The Canoe of Manitou, a sequel to Manitou’s Shoe, one of the most successful German-language movies ever. Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig returns to write, star and direct.

Having made his name in comedy sketch show Bullyparade, comedian and actor Herbig made Manitou’s Shoe in 2001. The comedy Western was a parody of the Winnetou Westerns of the 1960s. It was a huge hit, attracting almost 12 million moviegoers.

Christian Tramitz and Rick Kavanian are collaborating with Herbig on the screenplay and all three will reprise their roles from the first movie. Filming gets underway this year and the picture will hit theaters in 2025.

German broadcaster Rtl is on board and has snagged the TV rights.

“Bully is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding filmmakers in Germany and has mastered the art of making people laugh with his unmistakable humor,” said Oliver Berben, Constantin’s Deputy Chairman, and...

German theater owners got some good news Thursday night with mini-major Constantin Film unveiling that it has greenlit a sequel to Manitou’s Shoe, the blockbuster comedy Western from Michael “Bully” Herbig and one of the most successful German movies of all time.

Herbig broke the news to an industry crowd at the Munich Filmweek Thursday night, confirming he was returning to direct and star in The Canoe of Manitou, the sequel to his 2001 hit. He also posted a confirmation on his Instagram feed, noting that the movie will hit theaters next year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Bully Herbig (@bullyherbig)

Herbig will reprise his role as Apache chief Abahachi, with the original co-stars from the first movie, Christian Tramitz and Rick Kavanian returning to play Ranger and Dimitri.

Manitou’s Shoe is a parody of the Winnetou Westerns of the 1960s, European-shot movies inspired by the writings of Karl May,...

COLOGNE, Germany -- Germany's largest regional film subsidy board, the Filmstifftung NRW, announced Wednesday that it has extended the contract of managing director Michael Schmid-Ospach for another five years. Schmid-Ospach took over as managing director in 2001, replacing Dieter Kosslick who moved to Berlin to become director of the Berlin International Film Festival. Under Schmid-Ospach's direction, the Filmstifftung has backed a wide range of German productions, from such local boxoffice hits as Manitou's Shoe and 7 Dwarves to international crossover successes including Good Bye, Lenin! and Mostly Martha.

COLOGNE -- David Groenewold's German Film Prods. has boarded the children's film Hui Buh -- Das Schlossgespenst (Hui Buh -- The Castle Ghost), which features local comedy star Michael "Bully" Herbig, Groenwold said Monday. Herbig, who directed and starred in the German boxoffice hits Dreamship Surprise and Manitou's Shoe, plays the title role of the clumsy ghost Hui Buh. The cast also features Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually) and German comedy star Christoph Maria Herbst. GFP will co-finance the film with producers Constantin Film and Christian Becker's Rat Pack Filmproduktion. GFP and Rat Pack previously teamed for last year's comedy spoof The Wanker, a surprise hit which took in more than $14 million at the German boxoffice. Sebastian Niemann, who helmed the German TV movie The Jesus Video for Rat Pack and GFP, will direct Hui Buh.

COLOGNE -- David Groenewold's German Film Productions has boarded the children's film Hui Buh - Das Schlossgespenst (Hui Buh -- The Castle Ghost), which features local comedy star and boxoffice champ Michael "Bully" Herbig, Groenwold said Monday. Herbig, who directed and starred in German comedy boxoffice hits' Dreamship Surprise and Manitou's Shoe, plays the title role of the clumsy ghost Hui Buh. The cast also features Heike Makatsch (Love, Actually) and German comedy star Christoph Maria Herbst. GFP will co-finance the film together with producers Constantin Film and Christian Becker's Rat Pack Filmproduktion. GFP and Rat Pack previously teamed for last year's comedy spoof The Wanker, which was a surprise hit, taking in more than $14 million at the German box office. Sebastian Niemann, who helmed German TV movie The Jesus Video for Rat Pack and GFP, will direct Hui Buh.

COLOGNE, Germany -- To stir up blockbuster fever and entice local audiences away from the temptations of warm summer weather and televised sports, Austrian exhibitor Constantin Group has launched a plan to lock in customers for some of the summer's hottest studio movies, the distributor said Wednesday. Cineplex Unlimited, launched last month, offers cinemagoers blocks of 10 tickets for €25 ($30), a huge discount on the regular €7.5-€8 ($9-$9.60) Austrians shell out for top movies. Nine of the tickets are for upcoming summer blockbusters, while buyers can choose one film themselves. The films included are Shrek 2, Troy, Spider-Man 2, The Day After Tomorrow, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Catwoman, I, Robot, Around the World in 80 Days and (T)Raumschiff Surprise -- Periode 1, the latest genre spoof from German director Michael Herbig, whose Manitou's Shoe was a huge hit in Austria.

CANNES -- EOS Entertainment, the TV event production group headed by former KirchMedia deputy CEO Jan Mojto, has set up its own distribution arm, EOS Distribution, to handle sales of its slate of mega-budget miniseries, the company announced at MIPTV. In an interview, Mojto said Dirk Schuerhoff, head of sales at Kirch film sales subsidiary Beta Cinema, will head the new unit. At Beta, Schuerhoff handled international sales on German-language productions such as Roland Suso Richter's The Tunnel and Michael "Bully" Herbig's hit Western spoof Manitou's Shoe. Beta's head of theatrical sales, Andreas Rothbauer, will take over Schuerhoff's responsibilities along with Gerome Vincendon, previously responsible for French-speaking territories.