Beta picks up thriller Colonia

Beta Cinema has picked up sales to director Florian Gallenberger’s anticipated thriller Colonia starring Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl and Mikael Nyqvist.

Production outfit Majestic are currently shooting in Germany and will move to South America later this year.

The film is due for release in October 2015.

“Florian’s script is a real page turner and the first rushes are more than promising. We can’t wait to introduce the film to buyers at this week’s AFM,“ stated Beta Cinema’s Dirk Schürhoff.

UTA Independent Film Group will be co-representing domestic rights.

Producer Benjamin Herrmann commented: “The combined powers of Beta Cinema and UTA are perfect for this suspense-filled international thriller, which is inspired by true events. We are excited to be working together on Colonia”.

Gallenberger’s script, co-written with Torsten Wenzel, tells the story of Lena (Emma Watson) and Daniel (Daniel Brühl), a young couple, who become entangled in the Chilean military coup of 1973. Daniel is abducted by Pinochet’s secret police and Lena tracks him to a sealed off area in the South of the country, called Colonia Dignidad.

The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by lay preacher Paul Schäfer (Mikael Nyqvist) but, in fact, is a place nobody ever escaped from. Lena decides to join the cult in order to find Daniel.

The supporting cast includes Richenda Carey, Vicky Krieps, August Zirner and Martin Wuttke.

The film is a production of Majestic Filmproduktion and co-delegate producer Iris Productions, co-produced by Rat Pack Filmproduktion, in association with ProSieben and Sky, supported by FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, FFA German Federal Film Board, Ger­man Federal Film Fund (DFFF), Luxembourg Film Fund and the MEDIA program of the EU.