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German Circuit

Posted: December 8, 2009

Zweiohrküken (Chick with Two Ears)

Director: Til Schweiger
Writers: Anika Decker, Til Schweiger
Producers: Til Schweiger, Tom Zickler
Stars:

Tri-genre: relationships comedy romance
Story Situation: period-of-adjustment
Satisfaction Rating: good
Maturity Rating: 13+

Plotline: In this follow-up to last year’s surprise comedy hit Keinohrhasen (Rabbit without Ears) - the title a refernce to a child’s favorite stuffed animal - two years have past since lothario tabloid journalist Ludo (Til Schweiger) was sentenced to 300 hours of community service in a kindergarten where he fell in love with head mistress Anna (Nora Tschirner). The intoxication of first-blush romance has given way to the routine of daily life. Jealousy now enters the relationship when Ludo’s old flame Marie (Edita Malovcic) reconnects with him; and reconnects again and again. Although Ludo has no intention of betraying his commitment to Anna, he rebels against her neurotic attempts to rein him in and demands she give him some space. Then Anna’s former lover Ralf (Ken Duken) shows up and suddenly her neurotic shoe fits his foot.

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Michael Herbig Remains Germany’s Top BO Director

"Wickie" Dominates German Box Office

German writer-director-actor Michael Herbig scored the 3rd best all-time opening for a German language film over the past weekend at nearly $12.5 (€ 8.53) million with Wickie und die starken Männer - Der Pfeil (Vicky the Viking).  Based on a 1974 German animated TV series, the film follows the comedic adventures of a timid Viking boy.  Previously Herbig wrote, directed and produced the Star Trek parody Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1 (Starship Surprise - Episode 1), the all-time top-opening German language film, as well as the Western parody Der Schuh des Manitu (Manitou’s Shoe), the all-time top-grossing German film.

Herbig, nicknamed “Bully” after a jersey he wore during soccer practice, began his comedy career with the morning show Langemann und die Morgencrew (Longman and the Morning Crew) before moving to German television as writer-director-actor-host for the skit comedy shows Bullyparade and Bully & Rick where he tried out several different Saturday Night Live-style parodies.  His first theatrical smash hits were based on characters and themes voted for by the show’s audience.

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Til Schweiger

Still Germany's Best Kept Secret

Beyond his flashy action cameos in international films such as Inglorious Basterds, King Arthur and Lara Croft 2, Til Schweiger remains the biggest box office star in the strategically important German-speaking market.  However at home, the handsome actor is known less for his action roles than for his Matthew McConaughey-style comedy romances, most recently 1 ½ Ritter (Knight and a Half), Keinohrhsasen (Rabbit without Ears) and Barfuss (Barefoot). Schweiger has starred in four of the top-10 grossing German films of all time including Raumschiff Surprise (Starship Surprise) which set the record for the highest opening weekend gross.

Schweiger was cast fresh out of Cologne Theatre School as a regular on the popular German soap Lindenstraße (Linden Street) which, in turn, also landed him his first starring film role in the hit comedy Manta, Manta (Racing in the Streets). Subsequently, his film performances have earned him Best Actor Awards at the Max Ophüls Festival, the Moscow Film Festival and the Polish Film Festival, as well as the Ernst Lubitsch Award for producing, writing, directing and starring in Keinohrhsasen.

Til Schweiger lives most of the year in Germany. He has four children with American wife, model Dana Carlsen.