Industry

Keshet International (KI) is launching a standalone scripted production company in Germany following the success of Keshet Tresor Fiction (KTF), the scripted division it launched five years ago as part of Tresor TV.

With the same remit as the scripted division that preceded it, Keshet Germany will build on the successes of KTF - including the German adaptations of Stockholm, known locally as Unter Freunden stirbt man nicht (You Don’t Die Among Friends) (RTL+), and How To Dad (ARD Degeto), Israeli formats both distributed by KI - while continuing to develop and produce original high-quality scripted series and films for the German and international market, such as KTF’s most recent production, the award-winning 6x45’ thriller Der Schatten (ZDFneo).

Officially relaunching on 1 September from its offices in Munich, Keshet Germany will be run by joint Managing Directors Axel Kühn and Christina Christ, who is promoted from her current role as KTF’s Director of Fiction Programs. The company will employ all staff currently working for scripted division KTF, including producer Tina Hechinger, head of production Bernd Krause and script consultant Konstantin Kühnle, who have all been with KTF since its inception in 2018 alongside Christ. Kühn will continue as MD of KI’s unscripted German production company Tresor TV.

KI’s CEO Keren Shahar says, “I am incredibly proud of what Christina and Axel and all the team at Keshet Tresor Fiction have achieved in the five years since we launched the scripted division in Germany specifically to leverage KI’s scripted catalogue there. Their hard work, determination, and sheer talent for what they do has propelled our scripted operations in Germany forward and I look forward to seeing what comes next from them and Keshet Germany!”

Joint MDs Axel Kühn and Christina Christ add, “How time flies when you are having fun! Relaunching as a standalone scripted production company demonstrates how successful our scripted strategy here in Germany has been so far, with high-quality successes like Der Schatten, Unter Freunden stirbt man nicht, and How to Dad to show for our efforts. Our focus at Keshet Germany will be on rebooting internationally recognized IP like Keshet’s False Flag and Dr. Mabuse, while also reimagining characters of cultural significance in Germany, like legendary pirate Klaus Störtebeker.”
With Stefanie Veith (ZDFneo’s Der Schatten) as head writer, Keshet Germany is developing a German adaptation of False Flag which is based on the hit Israeli thriller originally created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman for Keshet 12. Produced by Tender Productions, False Flag (8x60’) won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards at Series Mania, was sold by KI and broadcast in 127 countries by FIC, and recently remade for Apple TV+ as Suspicion by Keshet UK starring Uma Thurman and Kunal Nayaar. Three successful seasons of the hit anthology have been produced in total to date, all of which were selected by the Berlinale in 2015, 2019, and 2022 respectively.

Keshet Germany is also rebooting the Dr Mabuse crime franchise as a drama series written by Boris Kunz (Netflix’s Paradise) in partnership with producer Alice Brauner and CCC Films. An integral part of German film history, the character of Dr Mabuse continues to make an undeniable impact in pop culture to this day, more than a century after he was first made famous by Norbert Jacques in his 1921 novel Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (Dr Mabuse, The Gambler) and Fritz Lang’s epic silent movie of the same name, which was released in 1922.

Keshet Germany is also developing a reimagining of the notorious 14th century German pirate Klaus Störtebeker, who’s outlandish and remarkable death by decapitation has secured him a place in the pantheon of German national mythology. The gripping and gritty drama series is written by Robert Krause (RTL’s Sisi) and Florian Puchert (Joyn’s Dignity). The new scripted production company also has a raft of other projects at various stages of development which it will be talking to buyers in Germany about over the coming months.