Rapid Proliferation of Films Based on Top-Selling Novels
In the realm of literature, Germany has produced a plethora of captivating novels that have resonated with readers worldwide. Over the past few years, many of these books have found new life on the silver screen, bringing their stories to a wider audience.
One such adaptation is Hape Kerkeling's "Jakobsweg" travelogue, published in 2006, which was transformed into a film in 2015. Directed by Oscar-winning director Caroline Link, the film was a hit with nearly four million viewers. Another notable adaptation is Wolfgang Herrndorf's "Tschick" road novel, published in 2010 and selling around four million copies. The film version, released in 2016, was directed by David Wnendt and maintained a mostly light-hearted tone, despite dealing with heavy topics like the loss of a mother to suicide.
Timur Vermes' debut novel about Adolf Hitler waking up in present-day Berlin was also adapted into a film three years after its release in 2015. The film, titled "Look Who's Back," was a satire that became a hit with around 2.5 million cinema-goers.
Fatih Akin, known for his work on films like "Head-On" and "Soul Kitchen," initially tried to secure the film rights for "Tschick" but they went to other producers. However, he found success with the adaptation of Wolfgang Herrndorf's "Tschick" after that, also directed by David Wnendt.
The film "Sonne und Beton," based on Felix Lobrecht's novel, tells the story of four boys growing up in Berlin's Gropiusstadt, turning to theft to sell computers for money. Released in 2023, the film had about 1.2 million cinema visits.
Another successful adaptation is the Disney+ miniseries of "Deutsches Haus," which explores the legal and societal reckoning of the mass murder of Jews, centering around a translator in a trial against Nazi criminals. The series was prepared for television by its author, Screenwriter Annette Hess.
The German TV series "Babylon Berlin" (2017 on Sky, 2018 on ARD) is an adaptation of Volker Kutscher's "Der nasse Fisch - Gereon Raths erster Fall," published in 2008.
The young adult novel "Save me" was published in 2018 and released as a six-part series on Amazon's Prime Video in 2024, becoming the largest global audience for a non-American title. The series, which follows the story of a young girl trying to escape an abusive home, was written by Mona Kasten and is set to have a second season, set to air from November 7.
Despite their success in cinema and television, none of the adaptations have reached the sales or readership of their respective source novels. However, they have brought these powerful stories to a wider audience, allowing more people to experience the richness of German literature.
One upcoming adaptation to look forward to is Caroline Wahl's debut novel "22 Bahnen," which is set to be released in cinemas on September 4, 2025. The book, which tells the story of a young woman who is forced to confront her past, promises to be another captivating addition to the world of German literature on screen.
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