Beta Film has picked up worldwide distribution rights to thriller series “Westend Girl,” starring Helena Zengel, who was the co-lead with Tom Hanks in “News of the World” and with Willem Dafoe in “The Legend of Ochi.”
The six-hour series, which has been selected for Berlinale Series Market showcase Up Next: Germany, centers on teenager Ronja, who is forced to grow up overnight when her parents are arrested for drug trafficking, and her picture-perfect life starts to crumble.
Zengel has been in demand ever since she broke through at the age of 11 in the lead role of Berlinale competition entry “System Crasher,” for which she won the German Film Award and was nominated at the European Film Awards. “News of the World” earned her Critics Choice and Golden Globes nominations.
Based on a true story, “Westend Girl” follows Ronja (Zengel), who is about to turn 18 and on top of the world. Raised in a sheltered, wealthy neighborhood, she’s just moved into her first apartment and is about to begin medical school. But the day after her birthday party, everything changes: Her picture-perfect parents are suddenly arrested and accused of running the largest cocaine ring in the region. What’s more, Ronja slowly realizes that the police don’t just see her as a witness, but also as a potential accomplice. But who can she still trust?
Shot in and around Marseille, Düsseldorf and Berlin, “Westend Girl” is co-created by Richard Kropf (“Kleo,” “4 Blocks”) and Pola Beck (“Breaking Horizons,” “Druck”). Kropf also serves as head-writer, with Luisa Hardenberg (“Push”), Katharina Brauer (“Para – Wir sind King”), Alexander Lindh (“A Better Place”), and Julian Gaupp-Maier (“How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)”) completing the writers’ room. Beck is also directing the series with Stefan Schaller (“Five Years”). Director of photography is Yoshi Heimrath (“Berlin Alexanderplatz,” “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)”).
Alongside Zengel, the cast includes Frederic Balonier (“Maxton Hall”), Lucas Gregorowicz (“Call My Agent Berlin,” “Pagan Peak”), Luise Heyer (“Sound of Falling,” “Black Box”), Alexander Scheer (“From Hilde, With Love,” “House of Promises”), Samirah Breuer (“Shadow Leaks”) and Hanna Heckt (“Sound of Falling”).
Martin Heisler of Flare Film (“Forget Me Not,” “Funeral for a Dog”) produces the show; Maxim Juretzka of Flare Film (“Funeral for a Dog”) and Jan Wünschmann of Beta Film (“The Swarm”) are executive producers. Commissioning editors are Frank Tönsmann of WDR and Uta Cappel at ARTE.
Westend Girl is produced by Flare Film in co-production with WDR/ARTE, in collaboration with Beta Film. The series is funded by Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and the German Motion Picture Fund. Beta Film handles worldwide distribution rights.
Leave a Reply