Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Das Boot getting an eight-hour TV series sequel

"Today, more than ever before, anti-war stories need to be told"

Jacob Stolworthy
Friday 01 July 2016 09:48 BST
Comments

Classic German drama Das Boot - the unrelentingly claustrophobic epic from Wolfgang Petersen - is to get a follow-up in the form of a television miniseries.

If you haven't watched the film since its release in 1981, perhaps it's time for a refresh because Variety is reporting the series will pick up directly where it left off.

Written by Tony Saint and Johannes W. Betz, the series - produced by Bavaria Films for $28 million - will be comprised of eight episodes.

An adaptation of Lothar-Günther Buchheim's novel The Boat, the WWII-set drama told the fictional story of men serving aboard a U-boat and was told largely through the viewpoint of German forces - a trait that will be continued in the series.

Speaking about the decision to make a continuation, Bavaria Films' CEO Christian Franckenstein said:

"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."

The Das Boot miniseries is expected to air on Sky channels across the world at an unannounced stage in 2018. It is unknown whether any of the film's original cast - including Jürgen Prochnow - or filmmaker Petersen will return in any capacity.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in