Maren Ade was part of our Directors Who’ve Gone Quiet list, she hasn’t helmed a film in over 8 years. That might change soon.
We’re hearing word that Ade is working on “Zauberwort” (“Magic Word”), a long awaited film— her first one since 2016’s “Toni Erdmann,” with plans to shoot in 2026. There’s currently no casting or plot details for “Zauberwort” as it is still very much in the early stages of development.
“She [Ade] is writing very intensely. She is working very hard,” producer Janine Jackowski tells Screen.
Ade’s last film, “Toni Erdmann,” took Cannes by storm in the summer of 2016, and ended up being one of the most acclaimed films of that year. It wasn’t just a laugh-out-loud funny comedy, but a surprisingly touching one at that. Ade’s film, an effusive mix of comedy and drama, didn’t deserve to go empty-handed during the 2016 Cannes awards ceremony, and people are still talking about that snub to this day.
After he unexpectedly arrives at her door, the main character in ‘Erdmann’ reluctantly agrees to spend time with her estranged father. He’s a practical joker who does his best to reconnect by pretending to be her life coach. The film painted a portrait of 21st century Europe via the lens of an isolated and hard-working woman (Sandra Hüller), Ade tackled relevant socio-political themes in her film, including work, family and globalism.
It was such a worldwide sensation that a U.S. remake had been greenlit for “Toni Erdmann,” which at one stage had Jack Nicholson and Kristen Wiig attached with Lisa Cholodenko to direct from a script by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. All of these creatives have since exited the project.
The German-born Ade has only directed three films in 20+ years, including “The Forest For the Trees” and “Everyone Else,” and her potential return to filmmaking is welcome news.