UFA Fiction Preps Siegfried & Roy Biopic

LONDON: UFA Fiction has landed the rights to make a biopic about renowned magicians Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Horn that will be distributed by FremantleMedia International.

Nico Hofmann, co-CEO at UFA Fiction, brokered the deal for the film about the globally recognized duo, who met on a cruise ship in 1960 and went on to run a highly successful stage show in Las Vegas. In October 2003, Horn was injured by one of the duo’s legendary white tigers, ending their long-running show at the Mirage.

Philipp Stölzl will direct from a script by Jan Berger. Executive producers are Sebastian Werninger, Siegfried Fischbacher, Roy Uwe Horn and Jan Mewes.

Siegfried and Roy said, “We’re thrilled and extremely honored that Nico Hofmann—Germany’s leading producer—wants to film the story of our lives. We think we’ve found great partners in Nico, Philipp and Jan because they show a real understanding of us, our work and our career.”

Hofmann said, “Personally, the prospect of working with Siegfried and Roy is the fulfillment of a long-held dream. It’s not only the story of two Germans who became world famous but a plunge into the world of magic and illusion. The lifework of Siegfried and Roy derives from an almost inexhaustible store of energy and creativity. This is the story of two men who set new, never repeated standards in the tough world of show business. I am also impressed by the warmth, openness and straightforwardness which Siegfried and Roy are demonstrating towards us on this project.”

Stölzl added, “The image of Siegfried and Roy floating down onto the stage in their fantastical outfits, landing amidst a pack of snow-white tigers, has been burned into my mind since I was a boy. It was truly out of this world. Being able to tell the story of Siegfried and Roy, covering all their successes, desires and dreams, is a wonderful gift that comes with a special set of challenges for me as a director, especially when working out how to present their stage shows. As well as depicting the unbelievable physical control and speed with which they worked with the big cats, we also have to capture the wonder of magic that the audience at the shows got to experience first-hand and recreate that for viewers at home. It is a big task that I approached with great pleasure and excitement.”

Sarah Doole, director of global drama at FremantleMedia, noted, “UFA Fiction have created a string of outstanding, high-end and award-winning scripted projects in recent years, and I have no doubt that their portrayal of the legendary magicians, Siegfried and Roy’s life story will be a spectacular production which will bring the global audiences closer to the magic.”