Apple TV+ have today announced a new untitled drama based on “Metropolis” from Philip Kerr’s globally bestselling book series “Berlin Noir,” adapted by Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award-winning writer and executive producer Peter Straughan (“Conclave,” “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” “Wolf Hall”), and hailing from Bad Wolf and Playtone.
The “Berlin Noir” book series features the iconic detective, Bernie Gunther, and this adaptation begins with “Metropolis” and his origin story in 1928. Bernie is a police officer, newly promoted to the intimidating and elite Berlin Murder Squad, and must investigate what seems to be a serial killer targeting victims on the fringes of society. Bernie’s Berlin is a city of unprecedented freedom and dizzying turbulence, the Nazis just a distant nightmare waiting in the wings. With the political and social world shifting to a new norm, we see Bernie fighting for truth, whatever the cost.
Jane Tranter, Dan McCulloch and Ryan Rasmussen executive produce for Bad Wolf, alongside Peter Straughan.
Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks executive produce for Playtone.
Philip Kerr is the author of fourteen Bernie Gunther novels, translated into many languages and bestsellers in the US and the UK. He finished “Metropolis” shortly before he died from cancer in 2018 so it is both the first and last Bernie novel. His widow, the novelist Jane Thynne, owns the copyright in the Bernie Gunther novels through their company Thynker Ltd c/o United agents.
Peter Straughan is represented by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and CAA.
Photo credit – Antonio Olmos.
About Apple TV+
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 563 wins and 2,596 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy Ted Lasso and historic Oscar Best Picture winner CODA.
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*
About Bad Wolf
Since launching in 2015, independent production company Bad Wolf has produced an ambitious slate of award-winning high-end dramas from its base in Cardiff, Wales. This includes three seasons of acclaimed finance drama Industry for HBO/BBC; three seasons of His Dark Materials for BBC/HBO; three seasons of A Discovery of Witches for Sky / AMC; two seasons of I Hate Suzie for Sky /HBO Max and ITV’s hit thriller Red Eye. Between 2023 and 2024 Bad Wolf produced the 60th Anniversary and Christmas specials of Doctor Who and two full seasons with Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor – with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television. Recent productions include Dope Girls for the BBC / Sony. Future projects include a fourth season of Industry for HBO, a second season of Red Eye for ITV and new dramas The Other Bennet Sister for BBC and The War Between the Land and the Sea for BBC and Disney Branded Television. Sony International Television acquired a majority stake in the company in 2021.
About Playtone
PLAYTONE is Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s film and television production company. Film releases include News of the World, Greyhound, Where the Wild Things Are, A Man Called Otto, Charlie Wilson’s War, Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Cast Away, The Polar Express, The Circle, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, and Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids. Television credits include Masters of the Air for Apple TV+, the Emmy-winning HBO movie Game Change, Emmy-winning HBO limited series’ Olive Kitteridge, The Pacific, John Adams, and Band of Brothers, Emmy-nominated HBO series Big Love, Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman show Notes From The Field for HBO, the 2012-2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert Special for HBO, and CNN docuseries’ The Movies, The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, The 2010s, and four-part documentary special 1968. Upcoming projects include the HBO two-part documentary special Billy Joel: And So It Goes, premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Greyhound 2, and In The Garden of Beasts. Playtone’s television productions have garnered over 50 Emmy Awards (6 Outstanding Miniseries or Movie), 10 Golden Globe Awards (4 Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television), and 5 Peabody Awards. Hanks and Goetzman are recipients of the PGA’s Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.
