‘Hagen’: First Look At RTL & Constantin Epic Fantasy Drama As Fremantle Acquires Sales Rights — London TV Screenings
28.02.2024 - 09:03
/ deadline.com
Here’s a first look at Hagen (working title), the German-Czech fantasy drama epic, which now counts Fremantle as its worldwide distributor.
Based on Wolfgang Hohlbein’s bestselling novel ‘Hagen von Tronje’, the series is a reimagining of the medieval Nibelungen folk saga, which is widely considered as an inspiration behind modern fantasy franchises such as George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings.
Super-indie Fremantle has jumped to acquire rights outside of German-speaking territories, with the agreement covering the six-part series and accompanying feature film. Fremantle’s stablemate at German conglomerate Bertelsmann, RTL, has German streaming and TV rights.
Fremantle plans to launch the series at its Fremantle Presents showcase this Friday (March 1) at the London TV Screenings. This follows an agreement between Rebecca Dundon on behalf of Fremantle and Friedrich Radmann on behalf of Constantin Film.
The series is billed as a “dramatic and ultimately catastrophic series of events” that “unfold in this sweeping universal tale of love, power, family and war delivered with impressive cinematic quality.” Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert are directing and they have written the scripts alongside Doron Wisotzky.
The series follows Hagen, a soldier and Lord Commander loyal to King Gunter, who secretly harbors a deep love for the monarch’s daughter, Princess Kriemhild. When the Huns threaten to invade and a legendary dragon slayer, Siegfried, arrives, the king decides to marry a new wife, a mystical Valkyrie queen called Brunhild and calls on the help of both Siegfried and Hagen.
Gijs Naber (Blackbook, The Story of My Wife) stars as protagonist Hagen, with Jannis Niewöhner (Amazon’s