Filming for the remake of the classic children’s book EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES completed
28.10.2025
Potsdam, October 28, 2025. Yesterday the shooting of the remake of Erich Kästner’s EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES was finished in Bernburg. Co-produced by UFA Fiction, Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany and UFA Mitte, the children’s film is a contemporary adaptation of the classic children’s book about friendship and cohesion. In the role of Emil, Nicholas Jonah Peter plays his first major leading role on the big screen. At his side are the detectives Pony (Lara Toni Lüdders), Gustav (Kilian Kasa), Dienstag (Bela Louis Plass), Anh (Ai Vy Bui) and Jason (Camille Moltzen), with whom Emil experiences an unforgettable adventure in the big city. Filming took place in Berlin, Leipzig and Bernburg.
The ensemble of young actors is complemented by a great adult cast including Luise Heyer as Anna Tischbein, Merlin Sandmeyer as Max Grundeis and Ursula Werner as Renate Tischbein.
About the plot: Emil is supposed to spend the summer holidays with his grandmother in Berlin. But already on the train there he is robbed by the unscrupulous fraudster Max Grundeis – and a wild adventure begins! Together with a gang of clever children, Emil takes up the chase and plunges into a fast-paced detective hunt across Berlin – full of wit, courage and genuine friendship.
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES is a co-production of UFA Fiction, Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany and UFA Mitte distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Germany. Producers are Sebastian Werninger, Tobias Timme and Katharina Rietz. Matthias Adler is executive producer, Tom Haase is producer. Co-producers of Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany are Steffen Schier, Julia Hayungs and Maggie Mackuth. David Dietl directs, Philip Peschlow is responsible for the camera work as DoP. The screenplay was written by Antonia Scheurlen. The film is funded by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (mbb), the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), the FilmFernsehFonds Bayern (FFFB), the Filmförderanstalt (FFA), the German Film Fund (DFFF) and the Bavarian State Chancellery.
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES will be released in 2026 by Warner Bros. Pictures Germany.
The film adaptation is not the first UFA Fiction book adaptation of an Erich Kästner classic. Two years ago, THE FLYING CLASSROOM was released in cinemas.
About UFA Fiction
UFA bundles its activities in the program genres of fiction and serial drama as well as show, factual and documentary under one roof. UFA Fiction stands for production activities in the areas of series, TV movies, events and feature films and has a remarkable portfolio that has had a lasting impact on the German television landscape. For decades, UFA Fiction has been delivering outstanding programs, lasting ratings successes and producing for all established partners, both nationally and internationally. Many productions have not only been great successes with audiences, but have also won numerous national and international TV and film awards, including two International Emmy Awards. These include, for example successful cinema films such as DER MEDICUS or DER JUNGE MUSS AN DIE FRISCHE LUFT, event and high-end drama formats such as UNSERE MÜTTER, UNSERE VÄTER, DEUTSCHLAND83/86/89, CHARITÉ, KU’DAMM 56/59/63 or FAKING HITLER, SAM – EIN SACHSE and ALL YOU NEED as well as the long-running crime series and series with high ratings such as EIN STARKES TEAM, DIE DIPLOMATIN and SOKO LEIPZIG. Current UFA Fiction productions include the movie productions DAS FLIEGENDE KLASSENZIMMER, EIN FEST FÜRS LEBEN and EMIL UND DIE DETEKTIVE, the high-end series GUTE FREUNDE – DER AUFSTIEG DES FC BAYERN, HELGOLAND 513, MAXTON HALL – DIE WELT ZWISCHEN UNS and WHERE’S WANDA?
The managing directors of UFA Fiction are Markus Brunnemann, Nataly Kudiabor, Ulrike Leibfried and Sebastian Werninger.
About WARNER BROS. PICTURE GROUP
The Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group consists of Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. Warner Bros. partners with the world’s most inspiring storytellers to create exceptional entertainment for every audience across all screens. Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group has been at the forefront of the film industry since its inception and is a leading creative force producing the widest range of films for global theatrical releases.
Information can be found on the official website or social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok).
Press contacts UFA Fiction:
Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications
janine.friedrich@ufa.dePhone: +49 331 70 60 379
Caroline Frenzel,
Manager Public Relations
caroline.frenzel@ufa.dePhone: +49 331 70 60 381
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Press contact Warner Bros.:
The press release as pdf for download:
