ChaiFlicks picks up ‘Kafka’ biopic rights for North America

Kafka (Source: ORF Enterprise)

ChaiFlicks, the streaming service dedicated to Jewish content, has picked up the North American rights to the German-Austrian TV series Kafka.

Produced by Austrian and German public broadcasters ORF and ARD and David Schalko’s Superfilm, the six-part series is based on the life of famed Bohemian writer Franz Kafka and is timed to release around the 100th anniversary of his death.

The series follows the life of Kafka, widely regarded as one of the leading literary figures of the 20th century, whose troubled personal life influenced his writing that fused elements of realism and the fantastic. ChaiFlicks will launch the series on 6 June. It is distributed by ORF Enterprise.

Schalko directed and co-wrote the series, alongside writer Daniel Kehlmann, based on the Kafka biography by Reiner Stach. Swiss actor Joel Basman (The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch, The Monuments Men) heads the cast as Kafka, alongside David Kross (The Keeper), Nicholas Ofczarek (Pagan Peak) and Liv Lisa Fries (Babylon Berlin).

“We were tracking Kafka from its inception because of its special subject matter, and we were thrilled that the series lived up to everything we had hoped it would,” said ChaiFlicks co-founder Neil Friedman, who recently shared his content strategy with TBI.

“It’s beautifully written, produced and the cast is truly world-class. Launching it this June is the perfect way for all of us to celebrate and honor Kafka on the 100th anniversary of his passing.”