German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck earned international acclaim and an Oscar for his feature debut “The Lives Of Others.” And as they often do, Hollywood came knocking. It was too tempting for the director to pass up, and in 2010, the world got his sophomore slump with the wheezing star-studded (and Golden Globe-nominated) misfire, “The Tourist,” starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Donnersmarck hasn’t made a film since, but he’s returning behind the camera for a project that will bring him back to his home turf.
Screen Daily reveals that funding is underway for "Werk Ohne Autor," a German-language drama that will tell the story of artist who finds a new creative voice following his experiences under Nazi and East German rule. So, it seems it’s a return of sorts to the similar ground of Donnersmarck’s first film.
No word yet on when it might shoot, but it seems the pieces are slowly coming together. And it should be mentioned that Donnersmarck has been quite busy since “The Tourist,” publishing a collection of essays, writing for Philosophie magazine and more. Granted, making a movie that was a punchline for a few months probably didn’t put him in any hurry to do another, but this looks like a good vehicle to return with.
