Plenty of mainstream European comedies to ring in the new year

by Bénédicte Prot

05/01/2012 - The year 2012 is getting off to a better start than the end of 2011, with several mainstream comedies hitting German screens. First up is Robert Wilde’s German mockumentary Jonas, produced by Berlin-based outfit Boje Buck, which sends famous TV presenter-turned-actor Christian Ulmen back to school, among real pupils and teachers.

Meanwhile, Senator is hoping for success with a title that has more than proved its worth at home: Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s phenomenal French hit Untouchable [trailer]. Prokino is launching Chicken With Plums [trailer], the latest film by another French directorial duo, Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, co-produced by Germany’s The Manipulators (Potsdam/Babelsberg).

Constantin has gone to the Netherlands to seek out its box-office champion: Steffen Haars and Flip Van der Kuil’s New Kids: Nitro [trailer], the follow-up to New Kids Turbo [trailer] (2010), which enjoyed considerable success domestically and in Germany.

Finally, Ascot Elite is launching Sebastian Borenzstein’s warm-hearted Spanish/Argentinean co-production Chinese Take-Away [trailer], which was the top winner at the latest Rome Film Festival.

(Translated from French)