Manfred von Richthofen - the Red Baron - was the most celebrated fighter pilot of the First World War, and was given Germany's highest military decoration. He was credited with 80 victories in the air before being shot down in disputed circumstances at the age of 26. Playing von Richthofen is young German actor Matthias Schweighoefer.

The new film will be helmed by German director Nikolai Müllerschön.

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"At one stage, the project was planned as a much more expensive project with US partners and Val Kilmer cast as von Richthofen," recalls writer-director Niki Muellerschoen, whose filmmaking career saw him spend 13 years working in Hollywood. "But then we went back to the original basic idea of thinking that it must be possible to produce big cinema out of Germany, to make a summer movie about our history in a form that is internationally marketable. With this new strategy we would be able to keep the project under our control which would not have been possible if we had continued pursuing the project with a US cast and a budget of $50 million."

Casting the central role of von Richthofen wasn't a problem for Muellerschoen after he saw Matthias Schweighoefer in Tomy Wigand's Polly Blue Eyes. "I knew straight away that he would be the right person for the Baron. And Til Schweiger had already been attached to the US scenario," says Muellerschoen. "Von Richthofen is a real legend outside of Germany, he's a superstar in places like the USA and China. Though, it's a bit like the 'Titanic syndrome': most people know the Baron, but they don't know the details."

"A meticulous reconstruction of the Baron's life and the historical setting was not uppermost in my mind, that didn't interest me so much," he stresses. "It is more important to see what is relevant for people today. I saw no sense in making the film like a well-researched documentary. However, during my preparation on the film and looking into the story of his life, the man seems to be more like how I thought he should be."

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"At the end of the day, the film is an extremely modern film: these pilots were in love with the technology and slaves to the modern age," Muellerschoen adds. "Their main goal was to master this age with skill, fun and technical know-how. In fact, they are not much different from my sons sitting in front of a computer and communicating in a chatroom. The airplanes with their garish colors and logos are in some ways like the world of skateboarding and extreme sports and the Red Bull generation of today."

"It will be a great adventure film, combining action with a love story, coming-of-age, and a character piece," he concludes. "I see the film as being a great historical drama that will also entertain in a light and exciting way."

[ official website ] [ Matthias Schweighöfer ]

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