HARVEY KEITEL TO LEAD THE STAN ORIGINAL SERIES THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, BASED ON THE GLOBAL BESTSELLING NOVEL BY NZ AUTHOR HEATHER MORRIS

Also starring Jonah Hauer King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey and Jonas Nay - Executive Producer Claire Mundell will produce with Australian screenwriter Jacquelin Perske (Love My Way), to deliver this highly anticipated series.

April 13 2023 - Stan, Australia’s unrivalled home of original productions, today announced that Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel (The Irishman, Youth) will play the lead role as modern-day Lale Sokolov in the Stan Original Series The Tattooist of Auschwitz. An adaptation of the globally bestselling novel by Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is produced in partnership with Sky, Peacock, and All3Media International. ​ 

This eagerly anticipated adaptation, from the novel that sold 12 million copies worldwide, will star Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, World on Fire) and Anna Próchniak (Baptiste, Warsaw 44) as young Lale Sokolov and Gita Furman. Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us, Yellowjackets) will star in the series as New Zealander Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz novel and Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83, 86, 89) will be joining the series in the role of Stefan Baretzki.

Further cast joining the series include Tallulah Haddon (Kiss Me First, The Last Duel) as Hanna, Mili Eshet (Beyond the Mountains, Hills) as Ivana, Yali Topol Margalith in her first screen role as Cilka, Phénix Brossard (Little Joe, Benjamin) as Leon, Ilan Galkoff (Good Omens, Hilda) as Aaron, and Marcel Sabat (Tenet, The Windermere Children) as Tomas.

Harvey Keitel says: "The love story in this project, in the face of the horror, gives testimony to the spirit and the goodness of people."

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is inspired by the heart-breaking true-life story of Lale and Gita Sokolov. Lale (Jonah Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and shortly after arrival, he was made one of the tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. They experience love at first sight, and so begins a courageous, unforgettable, and human story. Under constant guard from a volatile SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lale and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.

Around 60 years later, Lale (Harvey Keitel) meets novice writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Lale finds the courage to tell the world his story. In recounting his story to Heather, Lale, in his 80s, faces the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.

Produced by Synchronicity Films in association with Sky Studios, in association with All3Media International, The Tattooist of Auschwitz was commissioned by Serena Thompson, Executive Producer at Sky Studios for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK. Claire Mundell is Executive Producer for Synchronicity Films. Lead Writer Jacquelin Perske is also an Executive Producer on the project and Heather Morris is Story Consultant. Evan Placey and Gabbie Asher are episode writers. Director Tali Shalom-Ezer is attached to direct all six episodes.

Currently in production, the series is a co-production between Sky Studios and Peacock with NBCUniversal Global Distribution and All3Media International jointly handling international sales of the series. The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in 2024 in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. VIAPLAY wil take Viaplay Series rights for Nordics (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Netherlands and Poland.

The Stan Original Series The Tattooist of Auschwitz is currently in production and will premiere in 2024.

For more information, please contact Stan Publicity at: stan.publicity@stan.com.au

For all Stan Publicity assets, go to: www.media.stan.com.au