Lena Stahl’s adaptation of Corpus Delicti enters production
- The dystopian thriller based on Juli Zeh’s best-selling novel is now shooting with a high-profile cast and an award-winning creative team
German director Lena Stahl has begun principal photography on Corpus Delicti, her sophomore feature, based on the successful dystopian novel by Juli Zeh. Set in a near-future society dominated by a strict health regime, the thriller explores the tension between personal freedom and state-imposed control.
In this future, society is governed by the “Method” – a system that enforces health and transparency above all. Corpus Delicti follows neuroscientist Mia Holl, a model citizen whose life unravels when her brother Moritz is accused of murder. Convinced of his innocence despite overwhelming evidence, Mia begins to question the very system she once upheld. Her search for the truth puts her at odds with a regime that tolerates no dissent. As pressure mounts, Mia no longer knows whom she can trust – not her colleague Christiane, her brother’s lawyer, or even the charismatic journalist Kramer. Her fight for justice soon makes her a target herself.
The cast includes Hannah Herzsprung (Babylon Berlin, 15 Years) as Mia Holl, Damian Hardung (Maxton Hall – The World Between Us) as Moritz and Alexander Fehling (Three Peaks [+see also:
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interview: Jan Zabeil
film profile], A Hidden Life [+see also:
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film profile]) as Kramer. Mia’s colleague Christiane is played by South African actress Haley Louise Jones (Sad Jokes [+see also:
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interview: Fabian Stumm
film profile]), while Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest [+see also:
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film profile], The White Lotus) takes on the role of Moritz’s lawyer.
Stahl penned the screenplay herself, adapting it from Zeh’s best-selling novel Corpus Delicti: A Trial, which was published in 2009 following the original 2007 stage play. The novel became a breakout success, with its dystopian vision striking a timely chord. This marks Stahl’s second collaboration with Herzsprung, who also starred in her debut feature, My Son, which won accolades at Filmfest München and was screened at several international festivals.
Filming is already under way, and the production brings together an acclaimed creative team: cinematographer Philipp Haberlandt (Black Mirror), Oscar-winning production designer Christian Goldbeck (All Quiet on the Western Front [+see also:
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interview: Edward Berger
film profile]) and costume designer Waris Klampfer (Cicadas [+see also:
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interview: Ina Weisse
film profile]). The original score is composed by Volker Bertelmann (an Oscar winner for All Quiet on the Western Front and an Oscar nominee for Conclave [+see also:
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interview: Red Carpet @ European Film …
film profile]) and Lennart Saathoff.
Corpus Delicti is being produced by Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann for Munich-based Wiedemann & Berg Film, with Laura Mihajlovic serving as executive producer. The film is supported by the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), the German Federal Film Board (FFA), Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), FilmFernsehFonds Bayern (FFF Bayern) and the Czech Audiovisual Fund’s production incentive. LEONINE Studios will handle German distribution, with a theatrical release scheduled for 1 October 2026.
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