29/11/2012 - German hit romantic comedy Men in the City gets a Dutch remake

A huge hit when it was released in Germany in 2009, the hit romantic comedy Men in the City [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from writer-director Simon Verhoeven looks at love from a decidedly male and big-city point of view. The film, which starred big-name German actors including Til Schweiger, even spawned a successful sequel last year, also written and directed by Verhoeven.

The first Men in the City is also currently being remade in the Netherlands as Mannenharten, a direct translation of the original German title (which roughly translates as Men's Hearts).

Shooting on the Dutch version started on November 17 and will take place in Brussels and Amsterdam.

The Dutch adaptation was written by screenwriter Maarten Lebens and will be directed by Mark de Cloe (photo). The duo earlier collaborated on the successful TV film De sterkste man van Nederland (The Strongest Man in the Netherlands), which was nominated for an International Emmy Award.

As in the German original, the film looks at the complicated love lives of five men who all frequent the same big-city gym. Some are womanizers, others are looking for true love and some are already in long-term relationships but may be worried about impending fatherhood duties.

The producers have gathered a high-profile cast that includes Daan Schuurmans, Barry Atsma, Jeroen Spitzenberger, Teun Kuilboer and Fabian Jansen in the lead roles. Georgina Verbaan, Hadewych Minis, Ton Kas and Marcel Musters are also part of the ensemble.

The project is produced by Alain de Levita for NL Film Produkties and will be distributed by Dutch Film Works in November 2013.