Daniel Brühl is getting back behind the camera to direct “Break,” a biopic about the tennis champion Gottfried von Cramm whose rise to stardom in the 1930s saw him face off with the Nazi regime in his native Germany.
“All Quiet on the Western” front star Felix Kammerer will lead the feature, which reunites the actor, Bruhl and the team behind the Oscar-winning WWI drama. “Break” is based on a screenplay by Hossein Amini from Marshall Jon Fisher’s “A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played.”
The Ink Factory (“The Pigeon Tunnel,” “The Night Manager”) and their partners Marc Platt and Adam Siegel for Marc Platt Productions (“La La Land,” “Cruella”) are teaming with Malte Grunert for Amusement Park (“All Quiet on the Western Front“) and Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) for Nine Hours on the picture, which will be told in German and English.
Von Cramm’s sporting career was set against the rise of the Third Reich, shot through with political and personal complexity and a high stakes love triangle, which meant he went into the 1937 Davis Cup in Wimbledon playing for his life.
“From a contemporary perspective, the extraordinary story of Gottfried von Cramm is one that demands to be told,” said Brühl, who also serves as partner at Amusement Park. “Gottfried is a hero for our times. I’m thrilled — and grateful — to be embarking on this cinematic journey, and to travel it together with my friends Felix Kammerer and Malte Grunert will make the pleasure greater still.”
“Gottfried’s life offers a thrilling prism to look at the history of Europe on the cusp of war — but more than that, it is the story of a deeply personal moral conflict and a dangerous romance – and the life-and-death stakes of greatest tennis match ever played,” added Simon and Stephen Cornwell at The Ink Factory. “The combination of Hoss’ mesmerising script, Daniel’s deeply thoughtful directorial eye, and Felix’s raw talent is a heady mix. We are thrilled to be partnering with our old friends Adam Siegel, Marc Platt and Malte Grunert, and to have the opportunity to work with the incomparable Edward Berger. It’s thrilling to be part of bringing the All Quiet team back together to tell this utterly compelling, hugely relevant story.”
Sales on the project will be handled by Fifth Season domestically. Executive producers are Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang for 127 Wall Productions.
“The story of Gottfried von Cramm is one of personal heroism displayed with unassuming elegance,” said Amusement Park founder and managing director Grunert. “At a time when the freedom and liberty we enjoy are once again under threat from rising nationalism and far right politics, it feels as timely as ever. Reuniting with Daniel, Felix and Edward together with our friends at The Ink Factory and Marc Platt Productions in order to bring Hossein Amini’s fantastic script to the screen will be a joy. I can’t wait to get started and get on the court as part of this great team.”