New additions to Screen’s European Film index include an adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, as well as an Italian remake of Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser starring Vincent Gallo.

Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski will jointly write and direct the big screen adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas, following six stories that are each set in a different time and place but which become intricately linked. The German-US coproduction is a joint venture between X-Filme Creative Pool, Anarchos Pictures and newcomer Five Drops. Philip Lee is executive producing and Stefan Arndt and Grant Hill are serving as producer. Tom Hanks will star. Principal photography will commence in September, with Focus Features International selling the sci-fi production internationally and Warner Bros. distributing in the US.

Davide Manuli is currently preparing The Legend Of Kaspar Hauser, which is based on the true story of a young man, Kaspar Hauser, who was found near Nuremberg, Germany, in 1828, barely able to speak or walk.  Werner Herzog previously adapted the story for the big screen in 1974, but Manuli will transpose the story to Sardinia. He is producing together with Bruno Tribbioli and Alessandro Bonifazi for Shooting Hope Productions and Blue Film. Vincent Gallo has been cast as Kaspar Hauser with Elisa Sednaoui, Claudia Gerini, Fabrizio Gifuni and Silvia Calderoni also confirmed to star. Shooting will commence on May 2 and last through to October. Cinecitta Luce has been appointed as distributor.

Six scientists travel from South America to the Polynesian Islands via a wooden raft in Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning Kon-Tiki. The $11.6m adventure drama is scripted by Peter Skavlan and produced by Jeremy Thomas and Aage Aaberge for UK’s Recorded Picture Company and Denmark’s Nordisk Film Production.  It received financial backing from the Norwegian Film Institute and Eurimages. The cast includes Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Wiliamson, Tobias Santelmann and Anders Baasmi Christiansen. Shooting is expected to start later this spring. HanWay Films has acquired internarional rights and Nordisk Film will release the film in Denmark in 2012.

Topics