13/10/2025 - The actor-turned-director’s second feature will focus on tennis legend Gottfried von Cramm, who defied the Nazi regime while hiding a dangerous personal secret

German-Spanish actor-director Daniel Brühl is returning behind the camera with Break, a biopic chronicling the life of German tennis champion Baron Gottfried von Cramm, whose rise to stardom in the 1930s placed him directly in the crosshairs of the Nazi regime. Austrian actor Felix Kammerer, best known for his award-winning performance in All Quiet on the Western Front [+see also:
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Break follows von Cramm’s remarkable sporting career from 1933-1945. A two-time French Open winner and world number one in 1937, he was also a three-time Wimbledon finalist and a global sports icon. His noble heritage and success on the court placed him squarely in the sights of the Nazi regime, which saw him as an ideal propaganda figure. Von Cramm, however, refused to join the party and was eventually arrested in 1938 for his homosexuality. The film also delves into a dangerous love triangle that added life-or-death stakes to his performances at Wimbledon and in the Davis Cup. At the 1937 Davis Cup Final in Wimbledon, von Cramm faced US star Don Budge in a match that, both literally and symbolically, became a fight for survival. As the Gestapo made clear to him, his safety depended on his victories.

The screenplay, written by Oscar-nominated scribe Hossein Amini (Drive, The Wings of the Dove), is based on Marshall Jon Fisher’s 2009 book A Terrible Splendor: Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played. Narrated in both German and English, the film aims to bring von Cramm’s story to a modern audience. Brühl has described the project as “compelling and highly relevant, especially in times of rising nationalism”, calling von Cramm “a hero for our times”.

Break marks Brühl’s sophomore feature as a director, following Next Door [+see also:
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The project is currently in its final stage of development, with filming expected to begin in 2026. Break is being produced by Malte Grunert for Berlin-based Amusement Park, alongside Simon and Stephen Cornwell, of London- and LA-based The Ink Factory, KJ Entertainment, FMI Film Manufacturers, and Marc Platt and Adam Siegel, of Marc Platt Productions. Edward Berger serves as executive producer through his company Nine Hours, while Fifth Season will handle the US distribution.