(VARIETY) Til Schweiger Action-Comedy Sequel ‘Manta Manta: Legacy’ Boarded by Picture Tree Intl., Teaser Debuts
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The action comedy is a sequel to the first “Manta, Manta” feature film from 1991, with a market premiere for both movies planned at the Cannes Film Market. Released by Constantin Film Verleih on March 30, “Manta Manta: Legacy” has reached over 800,000 admissions and was the number one movie in Germany in its opening week.
Produced by Bernd Eichinger, Peter Zenk and Martin Moszkowicz, and directed by Wolfgang Büld, the first movie launched the acting career of Schweiger in a newly reunified Germany. Generating more than 1.2 million theatrical admissions, the film went on to be the most successful film on German commercial television.
“Manta Manta: Legacy” reunites the leading cast of the 1991 original: Schweiger, Tina Ruland (“Ants in the Pants”) and Michael Kessler (“The Vexxer,” “Look Who’s Back”). The ensemble cast also includes Tim Oliver Schultz (“The Wave,” The Red Band Society”), Luna Schweiger (“Rabbit Without Ears,” Guardians”), Moritz Bleibtreu (“Run Lola Run”), Nilam Farooq (“Contra,” “Rate Your Date”) and Wotan Wilke Möhring (“Men in the City,” “Valkyrie”).
“Manta Manta: Legacy” is a Constantin Film production, produced by Christoph Müller, Viola Jäger and Philipp Reuter with Moszkowicz as executive producer and the support of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, FFA Filmförderungsanstalt and the DFFF.
In the film, Bertie (Schweiger) has quit his racing career and now runs a failing car repair shop and a go-kart track. When the bank threatens to foreclose on his business, Bertie comes up with a daring plan: First prize at the upcoming 90s nostalgia race could solve his financial problems.
With only one month to turn his run-down Opel Manta into a projectile, the race against the clock begins. When his ex-wife Uschi (Ruland) suddenly re-enters Bertie’s life, she asks him to take care of their son Daniel (Schultz). Bertie’s month of chaos is just beginning.
The film is the first announcement of PTI’s expanding Cannes Film Market slate that already includes the upcoming “Weekend Rebels” by Marc Rothemund (“This Crazy Heart,” “Sophie Scholl – The Last Days”), “A Whole Life” by Hans Steinbichler (“The Diary of Anne Frank,” Sky TV series “Das Boot”), “Measures of Men” by Lars Kraume (“The Silent Revolution,” “The People vs. Fritz Bauer”) and “The Chapel” by Dominique Deruddere (“Everybody Famous”).