30/08/2011

Ten years after the emergence on the big screen of Sams, a little creature with carrot-coloured hair who instils confidence in shy people and whose blue freckles make wishes come true, producer Ulrich Limmer of Collina Filmproduktion last week kicked off shooting on the third instalment in the adventures of this bizarre character.

Like The Slurb (2001, 1.8m admissions) and My Magical Friend Sams (2003, 1.2m admissions), the screenplay for Sams im Glück is the fruit of the excellent collaboration between Limmer and famous children’s book author Paul Maar. More precisely, it’s the adaptation of the seventh and final novel to date (to be published in September by Oetinger Verlag) in the Sams series created by Maar, which has already sold a total of 4.6m copies.

The film will, however, be helmed by another director: Austria’s Peter Gersina (who works a lot in TV but was also behind Girls on Top 2 and Tiger Team [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) takes over the reins from Ben Verbong, who directed the first two instalments.

In Sams im Glück, Mr. Taschenbier, Sams’ host and adoptive "father" for the past ten years, has really changed. In actual fact, without it being visible on the outside, he is becoming exactly like his young, red-haired friend and the transformation can only stop if Sams goes away and disappears forever from Taschenbier’s memory.

Sams, at first delighted to find in him the perfect playmate, realises he has a difficult decision to make.

The lead roles are once again played by Ulrich Noethen as Mr. Taschenbier and Christine Urspruch as Sams. Also starring again are Eva Mattes, Armin Rohde, August Zirner and Aglaia Szyszkowitz, now Taschenbier’s wife. The cast has been joined by Anna Thalbach.

(Translated from French)