16/07/2010

North Rhine-Westphalia is currently hosting the shoot for Vorstadtkrokodile 3 – Alle Für Einen! ("Crocodiles 3 – All For One"), the third and final instalment in the adventures of the "suburban crocodiles", those budding detectives from the Ruhr whose temerity is equalled only by their friendship and solidarity and who were created in 1976 by writer Max von der Grün.

The first two instalments, launched by Constantin on March 26, 2009 and January 21, 2010 respectively, attracted over 1.5m viewers between them and garnered numerous awards (the first episode won Best Children’s Film of the Year at the latest Lola Awards ceremony).

Christian Becker is again producing (for Westside Filmproduktion and Munich-based Rat Pack, as for The Crocodiles 2).

The young cast of actors are all back, including Nick Romeo Reimann, Fabian Halbig and Léonie Tepe playing Hannes, Kai and Maria. Adult stars include Nora Tschirner in the role of Hannes’s mother, and Jacob Matschenz (Run If You Can [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Axel Stein (who appeared in the first instalment) as a pair of burglars.

However, the film is this time directed not by Christian Ditter (who still co-wrote the screenplay) but by Wolfgang Groos, for whom this is his second feature after Hangtime. Groos previously worked as assistant to directors Dominik Graf, Matthias Glasner and Sönke Wortmann and has made television series, including the adventures of “Rudi the Racing Pig”.

Shooting will continue in the Ruhr region (in particular Dortmund, Cologne and Bochum) until the end of August. The film will be released next year by Constantin.