Koch to Star in TMG’s Seawolf Adaptation

MUNICH, November 16: Tele München Group (TMG) has chosen German actor Sebastian Koch to play the lead role of Captain Wolf Larsen in the two-part mini-series The Seawolf, based on Jack London’s novel of the same name.

Koch is known for films like The Lives of Others, Stauffenberg, Klaus Mann and Black Book.

The Seawolf will air on Austrian broadcaster ORF. The mini-series is co-produced by TMG-owned Clasart Television with Germany’s ZDF. The new adaptation follows ZDF and TMG’s first co-production of The Seawolf 40 years ago. The project is executive produced by Dr. Herbert Kloiber and produced by Rikolt von Gagern and his company Gate Film Produktion.

The $18 million production begins shooting in April 2008. The screenplay was written by English author Nigel Williams, who also wrote Elizabeth I. Mike Barker will serve as director. He has worked on films like Good Woman, Butterfly on a Wheel, and Best Laid Plans.

“Sebastian Koch is the ideal star for The Seawolf,” said von Gagern. “I am particularly pleased that thanks to Sebastian Koch, we are able to bring a German star to the attention of a global audience in this international event production.”

Koch commented: “There are certain roles in life that one just has to play—Albert Speer is one of them, and of course, the Seawolf.”

—By Ned Berke