Actor Til Schweiger (62) is slipping back into the role of ladies' man Axel Feldheim: More than three decades after the box office hit 'Der bewegte Mann' (1994), a sequel is being made. This is according to a current funding announcement from Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
The new film is titled 'Der bewegte Mann - Reloaded' and will be produced by the two Cologne-based production companies Gesellschaft für Feine Filme and Peak Point Pictures. The latter was recently launched as a joint venture between MMC Studios and Zeitsprung Pictures.
A Family Celebration Throws Everything into Chaos
According to the announcement, the new film is set 30 years after the first movie. Just in time for his gay son's wedding, Axel reappears unannounced after a long absence. For his former partner Doro Feldheim (portrayed in the first film by Katja Riemann) and surrogate father Norbert Brommer (Joachim Król), this means plenty of turmoil, as their carefully balanced patchwork life is thrown into disarray.
Revolving around midlife crises and plans for offspring, the film tells how the familiar characters have evolved. At its core, the story revolves around the question: 'Who is family, really?'
Familiar Faces in Front of the Camera
In addition to Schweiger, other prominent names have been confirmed. According to the funding announcement, Jan Josef Liefers, Marie Bäumer, and Rufus Beck are also part of the cast. Whether Riemann and Król will be returning is not mentioned in the announcement.
Hermine Huntgeburth will direct. The screenplay is written by Judy Horney and Martin Gypkens and, like the original, is based on the comics by Ralf König.
Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is supporting the project with 900,000 euros.
The Original Dates Back to 1994
The original was released in theaters in 1994 and was also based on König's drawings. At its center was the notoriously unfaithful Axel, whose life gets thoroughly disrupted when girlfriend Doro catches him cheating and promptly kicks him out. Without a place to stay, Axel moves in with his gay friend Walter (Rufus Beck) and then with Norbert. There he causes romantic confusion, as both men find themselves attracted to him.
When Doro later learns she's pregnant, she and Axel get back together and marry, but mistrust and new escapades bring chaos to the relationship once again. In the end, Doro gives birth to her child while Axel, after a failed date, is brought to her and the baby.
Director Sönke Wortmann scored a major hit with the comedy: More than six million people saw the film in theaters, making it one of the most successful German productions of the 1990s. For Schweiger, the role marked his breakthrough with a wide audience.
