Beta Cinema announced all-rights for North America have been picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films for Joachim A. Lang’s gripping historical drama about Nazi Germany’s notorious Minister of Propaganda, Goebbels and the Führer (aka "Führer and Seducer"). Samuel Goldwyn Films is planning a fall 2024 theatrical and digital release.
Beta Cinema also reveals deals for France (Condor Entertainment), Hungary (ADS), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Greece (TFG) while several major sales including Spain (A Contracorriente), Scandinavia (Mis Label), Japan (AT Entertainment) and Australia & New Zealand (Moving Story Entertainment) had been announced earlier this year. Wild Bunch will release the film in the German-speaking territories on July 11. The title is produced by Till Derenbach and Michael Souvignier for Zeitsprung Pictures, the company behind the popular Netflix series "Kleo2 and "Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood" and multiple award-winning biopic "Dear Thomas". The film is co-produced with Sandra Dujmovic (SWR) – who also advised on the dramaturgy - Maya spol.s.r.o. and Act/HQ.
The film is written and directed by German writer, director and historian Joachim A. Lang. Among many others, Lang directed Mack The Knife – Brecht’s Threepenny Film with Lars Eidinger ("Dying", Untitled Noah Baumbach Picture) in the lead role in 2018 and the German Television Award-winning film George in 2013. He also produced and directed numerous documentaries, feature films and shows for German TV. Lang's work has been awarded numerous film and television prizes, including the German-French Journalism Prize, Bavarian Television Prize, Eurovisioni, German Television Prize, World Gold Medal at the New York Film Festival and the Special Golden Prague Award.
"Goebbels and the Führer" follows Joseph Goebbels in his last seven years by Hitler’s side. While Hitler is at the height of his power, Goebbels is the creator of the pictures of the flag-waving crowds and of the anti-Semitic films "Jud Süß" and "Der ewige Jude", preparing the people for the mass murder of the Jews. After the defeat at Stalingrad and the situation becoming increasingly hopeless in late 1944, Goebbels plans the most radical propaganda act, his last staging, with Hitler's suicide, the murder of his family and his own suicide.
Thomas Weber, the award-winning author of Becoming Hitler, who acted as consultant on Goebbels and the Führer made reference to the importance, for the present day, of understanding an event like the mass manipulation of Nazism:"As the world has forgotten how Goebbels and Hitler wielded demagoguery, disinformation, and manipulation as weapons to devastating effect, the world no longer understands how to defend democracy and free societies, at a time at which we stand once more at the cross roads. This is why we made the film,“ explained.