Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American and worldwide airline rights to James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg from Walden Media and Bluestone Entertainment.
The pic, which was written and directed by Vanderbilt is based on Jack El-Hai’s book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist and stars Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Rami Malek as well as Oscar nominee Michael Shannon.
Set during post World War II, Nuremberg chronicles the true story of the eponymous trials held by the Allies against the defeated Nazi regime. Pic centers on American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Malek), who is tasked with determining whether Nazi prisoners are fit to stand trial for their war crimes and finds himself in a complex battle of wits with Hermann Göring (Crowe), Hitler’s right-hand man.
A nationwide theatrical release is planned for Nov. 7, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Trials.
Also starring are Richard E. Grant, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Lydia Peckham, Wrenn Schmidt, Lotte Verbeek and Andreas Pietschmann.
Nuremberg is produced by Richard Saperstein, Bradley J. Fischer, Vanderbilt, William Sherak, and Walden Media’s Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan, and Cherilyn Hawrysh, along with István Major of Filmsquad and George Freeman. Executive producers include El-Hai, Brooke Saperstein, Annie Saperstein, Beau Turpin, W. Porter Payne, Jr., Paul Neinstein, and Széchenyi Funds Géza Deme and Tamás Hajnal.
“I am beyond thrilled to be reuniting with Michael and Tom and the whole Sony Pictures Classics team, who ten years ago took a chance on me as a first-time director, and whose legacy of championing great films makes them an incredible partner,” said Vanderbilt. ”Nuremberg explores the fragile boundary between justice and vengeance in the aftermath of unimaginable atrocity. As we approach the 80th anniversary of this unprecedented moment in history, this story feels more urgent than ever, and I can’t wait for audiences to see it on the big screen.”
“Written and directed by James Vanderbilt, Nuremberg is a major work, a riveting subject, even more relevant today, that will speak to audiences of all ages. Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Rami Malek, and Leo Woodall are all at their career best here. Nuremberg will be a standout in theaters this Fall,” added Sony Pictures Classics.
Vanderbilt previously wrote and directed Truth, starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford. He also wrote Zodiac for David Fincher for which he was nominated for a WGA award. He has written and produced over 20 films.
The film is financed by Bluestone Entertainment, Walden Media, and Széchenyi Funds (Budapest, Hungary). Mythology Entertainment developed the project for over a decade after first acquiring the underlying rights to El-Hai’s original article and book in 2011. WME Independent represented the worldwide rights to the film and negotiated the deal with Sony Pictures Classics on behalf of the filmmakers.
