Successful German actor, entrepreneur, screenwriter, director, and film and TV producer Michael “Bully” Herbig and the film distribution and production company Constantin Film have announced the sequel to “Der Schuh des Manitu,” one of the most successful German films of all time. “Das Kanu des Manitu” will open in cinemas in 2025. RTL is also involved – the first time it is participating in a movie production by “Bully” Herbig. RTL Deutschland and Constantin Film signed a strategic partnership in September 2021.
As with the first film, Michael “Bully” Herbig will take the director’s chair and handle production. In 2001, based on sketches from the comedy show “Bullyparade,” Herbig had created the film “Der Schuh des Manitu”, a parody of the Winnetou movies of the 1960s. It went on to become the most successful German film of the year, attracting nearly twelve million moviegoers. The tongue-in-cheek homage to Winnetou & Co. captivated audiences with ambiguous dialogs, perfectly timed slapstick, and a great cast.
‘It’s a comedy!’
Filming on “Das Kanu des Manitu” is set to begin this year, according to a statement from Constantin Film – based on a screenplay by Michael “Bully” Herbig, Christian Tramitz, and Rick Kavanian. Further details regarding the cast will be announced in the coming months. But this much can already be revealed: Abahachi, Ranger, and Dimitri are getting some serious reinforcements!
“We were all standing around the printer, bursting with excitement,” says Michael “Bully” Herbig. “And when we finally held the script in our hands, we could hardly believe our luck: It’s a comedy!” Oliver Berben, film producer and Deputy CEO of Constantin Film, explains: “Bully is undoubtedly one of Germany’s most outstanding filmmakers, and has mastered the art of making people laugh with his unmistakable sense of humor. ‘Das Kanu des Manitu’ is a valuable gift to all cinephiles and those aspiring to the status. As a long-time admirer of his extraordinary creativity and talent, I very much look forward to our upcoming collaboration. It fills me with pride that we brought him on board our ‘Canoe’.”
