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Winnetou - Die Legende kehrt zurückPhilipp Stölzl, Jan BergerPhilipp Stölzl (THE PHYSICIAN)Nik Xhelilaj (THE ALBANIEN)Wotan Wilke Möhring (VALKYRIE)Jürgen Vogel (THE FREE WILL)Iazua Larios (APOCALYPTO) Milan Peschel (OPEN THE WALL) Mario Adorf (THE TIN DRUM)RTLWestern3 x two hoursRat Pack in co-production with Beta Film, Rialto Film, Mythos Film and Tabbenoca for RTL in association with RTVS

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SYNOPSISKarl, a young engineer, comes to the United States in the late 19th century to work as a surveyor building the transcontinental railway in New Mexico. He has left everything behind to make his mark in the new world. On his first outing into the New Mexico desert to survey the planned route for the railway, Karl and a crew of railway men are ambushed by Apache Indians. Most of the crew is killed and Karl is taken prisoner by no one other than Winnetou himself, the son of the Apache chief.

Karl is nursed back to health by Winnetou’s sister Nscho-Chi and is soon given the name “Old Shatterhand”, for his ferocious boxing skills. He falls in love; not only with Nscho-Chi, but also the Indian way of life. Old Shatterhand joins forces with Winnetou to help the Apache cause against the greed of the ever-growing stream of settlers moving west. Winnetou becomes the new chief after his father is murdered and by the end of part one of this three-part mini-series they successfully disrupt the ruthless plans of the railway company to destroy the Apache territory.

In part two, Winnetou and Old Shatterhand go in search of a long lost treasure, hoping to secure the future of the Apache tribe. They are not the only ones searching for the “Treasure of Silver Lake” and a breathtaking adventure ensues, climaxing in a fight to the death with cut-throat bandits in the underground maze of the Silver Lake caves. After returning to the tribe with a small portion of the treasure, Winnetou wants to set up a trading station and Old Shatterhand marries Nscho-Chi.

In part three, several years have gone by since Winnetou and Old Shatterhand returned from Silver Lake with the treasure. The Apache Indians have set up a flourishing trading station and Old Shatterhand lives on a ranch with his wife Nscho-Chi and their children. Then oil is found on Apache territory. In order to get to the oil, an unscrupulous oil company wants to get rid of the Indians. They hire bandits to stage Apache attacks on innocent settlers and it doesn’t take long before the settlers wage an all-out war against the Indians and a manhunt for Winnetou. Old Shatterhand comes to the aid of his blood-brother but he cannot save him. With his dying friend in his arms, Old Shatterhand promises to take care of the Apache tribe. The Indians later choose Old Shatterhand to be their new chief.

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PRODUCTION NOTESThe books of Karl May’s Winnetou western cycle are the most successful German adventure series ever. They have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, making Karl May, an adventure writer around 1900, who actually never visited the West, one of the most famous German authors of all time. The fame and success of the books were further cemented by the classic 1960s cult Winnetou feature film cycle.

Since the movies from the 1960s are so famous and loved by millions, this modern retelling will be a must-see for the 2016 holiday season. Updated to match contemporary story-telling and with modern, flawed characters, the new “Winnetou” will be accessible for a young audience, while at the same time staying true to the feel and spirit of the cult movies, by casting stars from the originals for cameos, shooting at the locations of the 1960s movies and featuring the iconic original score by Martin Böttcher. It is a classic grand entertainment with elements of comic relief, action-filled stunts and light-handed, adventure-filled story-telling in the style of PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN or RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

This is a modern retelling of a German classic; an adventure story for the whole family to enjoy.

NOTES BY PRODUCER CHRISTIAN BECKERWINNETOU is an adventure mini-series with comical elements, stunt-heavy action and a light, adventurous narrative mode, comparable to PIRATES OF CARRIBIAN or INDIANA JONES. In spite of the action, the story is touching, the characters are close to us and take us on an emotional journey. Add to that - in the style of the original cult movies – visual breadth and a breathtaking musical score.

Director Philipp Stölzl (THE PHYSICIAN, YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE, NORTH FACE) scriptwriter Jan Berger (THE PHYSICAN, WE ARE THE NIGHT, THE DOOR) and the producing team of Christian Becker/RatPack and Christoph Müller/Mythos Film (YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE, SOPHIE SCHOLL – THE FINAL DAYS) are happy to pick up the challenge of shouldering such a fabulous and outstanding project. In order to do justice to the charms of the originals in the new films, we took the producing company of the cult WINNETOU films, Rialto Film/Matthias Wendlandt on board, as consultants as well as co-producers.

In our opinion, the fantastic music plays an important part in the success. Therefore, the music to our WINNETOU will be modern and topical, freshly interpreted and produced by Heiko Maile (WE ARE THE NIGHT, THE WAVE), based on the characteristic WINNETOU tunes by Martin Böttcher.

Harald Reinl‘s WINNETOU adaptations in the early 1960s were so beloved by audiences because they turned the originals by Karl May into films in a topical fashion. In order to achieve the same success, we rely on the highest production values, regarding action, stunts and the authenticity of the production design. WINNETOU is an adventure movie with elements of other genres, like fantasy, horror, comedy and love story, carried by emotions and desires, the conflict between culture (building of the railroads) and nature (the Apaches), the enthusiasm for a life close to nature, the longing for a distant lost paradise.

We think that it‘s about time to inspire new generations with enthusiasm for WINNETOU!

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CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONSKARL MAY/ OLD SHATTERHAND

Karl May, a German immigrant, takes a job with the railway company which is building the transcontinental railway. Being a well-educated and somewhat sophisticated man, he initially fears and dislikes the Indians, but he is more and more intrigued by their exotic ways and shows a special interest in the tribe’s shaman: Nscho Tschi. His growing love for the young woman, but especially his deep and heartfelt friendship with her brother, Winnetou, changes his life in a way he never would have thought possible.

WINNETOU

When Chief Intschu Tschuna is killed, brash young Winnetou is forced to grow up early and take his father’s place as the leader of the Apache tribe. The unexperienced Chief is determined to defend his people’s land by all means necessary, even though the white men are much better equipped for battle. On first meeting Karl, Winnetou doesn’t expect this white man to become one of his most loyal allies. But during the battle, Old Shatterhand proves to be much more than an ally - Winnetou and he become friends, and ultimately blood brothers.

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NSCHO TSCHI

Nscho Tschi is not only the daughter of Chief Intschu Tschuna and Winnetou’s sister, but the tribe’s shaman. This makes her the cultural and spiritual leader of the Apaches. Together with her brother Winnetou she bears responsibility for the tribe. Nscho Tschi gets to know Karl while nursing his wounds. They are strangers at first, but soon he turns out to be her soul-mate.

SAM HAWKENS

Sam is an oddball trapper who speaks the indigenous language of the Apaches and only socializes with the white men when he really can’t avoid it. His most prized possession is a wig, which he has been wearing ever since the Apaches took his scalp. He is quite content roaming the prairie but once in a while he also yearns for Belle’s embrace and a good whiskey at the Roswell saloon. Aside from his wacky behaviour, Sam proves to be a stalwart and brave companion to Old Shatterhand and Winnetou.

BELLE

Belle is the prettiest and most warmhearted courtesan at Roswell’s only saloon. She and the other girls give comfort to the railway workers after their long and strenuous shifts. While hoping that her beloved Sam Hawkens will propose to her, she also looks after Karl and is the first who teaches him the very secrets of women.

BANCROFT

Mr. Bancroft is an experienced businessman from the East who is developing for the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Although he and his wife have been living in Roswell for a while, they are still shocked by the lack of culture in the new world they are creating. Bancroft is struggling to maintain his dignity, especially in front of the workers and their leader Rattler – but in the Wild West he is supposed to fail morally.

RATTLER

Rattler is the grim and violent foreman of the railroad company. He has a short fuse and is not the type to beat around the bush. He hates the ‘redskins’ and is not willing at all to respect the new engineer from Germany.