Keshet Germany will be run by joint Managing Directors Axel Kühn and Christina Christ.
Israeli producer and distributor Keshet International (KI) has unveiled a standalone scripted production company in Germany, a move that follows the success of Keshet Tresor Fiction (KTF), the scripted arm introduced five years ago as part of Tresor TV, according to a report by Deadline.
Under the banner of Keshet Germany, the company will build upon the successes of KTF, which includes the German adaptations of Stockholm, known locally as Unter Freunden stirbt man nicht (You Don’t Die Among Friends) (RTL+), and How To Dad (ARD Degeto). Both of these are Israeli formats distributed by KI. Additionally, Keshet Germany will continue to develop and produce original, high-quality scripted series and films for both the German and international markets, such as KTF’s most recent production Der Schatten (ZDFneo).
Keshet Germany has been officially relaunched on September 1, headquartered in Munich. The company will be overseen by joint Managing Directors Axel Kühn and Christina Christ. Christina Christ, who previously served as KTF’s Director of Fiction Programmes, has been promoted to this role. The team will comprise all the existing staff from the scripted division KTF, including producer Tina Hechinger, head of production Bernd Krause, and script consultant Konstantin Kühnle, who have been integral members of KTF since its inception in 2018, alongside Christ. Konstantin Kühn will continue to lead KI’s unscripted German production company, Tresor TV.
Speaking about the new venture, KI’s CEO Keren Shahar said: “I am incredibly proud of what Christina and Axel and all the team at Keshet Tresor Fiction have achieved in the five years since we launched the scripted division in Germany specifically to leverage KI’s scripted catalogue there. Their hard work, determination, and sheer talent for what they do has propelled our scripted operations in Germany forward and I look forward to seeing what comes next from them and Keshet Germany!”
Joint MDs Axel Kühn and Christina Christ added: “How time flies when you are having fun! Relaunching as a standalone scripted production company demonstrates how successful our scripted strategy here in Germany has been so far, with high-quality successes like Der Schatten, Unter Freunden stirbt man nicht, and How to Dad to show for our efforts. Our focus at Keshet Germany will be on rebooting internationally recognised IP like Keshet’s False Flag and Dr. Mabuse, while also reimagining characters of cultural significance in Germany, like legendary pirate Klaus Störtebeker.”
With Stefanie Veith (ZDFneo’s Der Schatten) leading the writing team, Keshet Germany is actively developing a German adaptation of False Flag, which is originally based on the hit Israeli thriller created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman for Keshet 12. The acclaimed False Flag (8×60’) was sold by KI and broadcast in 127 countries by FIC. It was recently remade for Apple TV+ as Suspicion by Keshet UK, featuring Uma Thurman and Kunal Nayaar.
Furthermore, Keshet Germany is set to reboot the Dr. Mabuse crime franchise as a drama series, scripted by Boris Kunz (known for Netflix’s Paradise) in collaboration with producer Alice Brauner and CCC Films. The company is also working on a fresh interpretation of the notorious 14th-century German pirate Klaus Störtebeker, whose death by decapitation secured him a place in the annals of German national mythology. This drama series is penned by Robert Krause (RTL’s Sisi) and Florian Puchert (Joyn’s Dignity). Additionally, the new scripted production company has a diverse array of other projects in various stages of development, which it will be presenting to buyers in Germany over the coming months.
