Bavaria Fiction and Conradfilm have confirmed the start of production for the first two 90-minute films for the new RTL drama franchise "Sonderlage." Shooting for the working title has just begun in Hamburg and Berlin. “We are bringing new crime thriller colors to RTL and are pleased to have such experienced and strong partners in ConradFilm and Bavaria Fiction, with whom we are venturing into very unusual and exciting 'special situations,'" Hauke Bartel, Head of Fiction at RTL Germany said. "Screenwriter Nobert Eberlein shows us crime fiction from a perspective that has not yet been told. Thanks to the supporting expertise of leading members of the Hamburg LKA, the material has a gripping authenticity. This unique combination convinced us immediately.”
Executive producers are Marc Conrad from ConradFilm and Lucia Staubach and Maren Knieling for Bavaria Fiction. The RTL editorial team is headed by Solveig Willkommen and Executive Producer Nico Grein under the direction of Hauke Bartel, Head of Fiction RTL Germany. In addition to Henny Reents ("Nord bei Nordwest"), the main roles in the production by ConradFilm and Bavaria Fiction include Annette Paulmann, Lasse Myhr, Georg Bütow, Banafshe Hourmazdi ("Futur Drei"), Zoë Valks ("Dear Thomas"), Frederik Schmid ("The Queen’s Gambit") and Sven Gerhardt. Broadcast is planned for next year.
Inspired by true events, "Sonderlage" focuses on police work in exceptional situations such as attacks, kidnappings, or violent rampages. The film is directed by Andreas Senn and written by Norbert Eberlein. Michał Grabowski is responsible for visual design. The production team is being advised by leading members of the Hamburg LKA – the State Office for Criminal Investigation. “Hostage-taking, terrifying rampages, kidnappings, escaped prisoners, high caliber extortions, theft at financial institutions and sensitive national establishments cannot be handled within the confines of routine police work," Marc Conrad, Managing Director and Executive Producer, ConradFilm said. "These 'special situations' require intensive cooperation between protective and criminal police, psychologists, topic-specific experts, special task forces, etc. Resulting in a high demand for forces, long deployment times, and a dramatic density of decisions in an avalanche of information. We will tell the story of this master plan with the mission 'to save lives for the first time on German television at RTL.”
“Inspired by true events, ‘Sonderlage’ shows police work under extreme conditions," Marcus Ammon, Managing Director Content, and Lucia Staubach, Executive Producer, Bavaria Fiction said. "Under immense time pressure and under the observation of the public decisions have to be made that determine life and death. We are very pleased that together with our partners RTL and ConradFilm and with a strong team in front of and behind the camera – first and foremost Henny Reents, director Andreas Senn, and writer Norbert Eberlein – we are now filming and viewers will soon be able to gain an insight into unusual cases and internal police power structures.”