Amazon MGM Studios will launch its first German original film in cinemas next month with Der Tiger, an anti-war drama from director Dennis Gansel. The film, which was shot in the Czech Republic in late 2023, will first premiere in select German theaters on Sept. 18 before hitting Prime Video worldwide later in the year.
Set in 1943 on the Eastern Front, Der Tiger follows the five-man crew of a Nazi Tiger tank as they embark on a secret mission deep behind enemy lines. The film portrays both the physical journey of the crew and their descent into moral and psychological turmoil, heightened by their use of methamphetamine supplied by the Wehrmacht. Gansel, known for Nazi-era dramas such as Before the Fall and The Wave, co-wrote the screenplay with Irish writer Colin Teevan.
The cast includes David Schütter, Laurence Rupp, Leonard Kunz, Sebastian Urzendowsky, and Yoran Leicher. The project was produced by Pantaleon Films in collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios Germany, with Frank Kusche and Dan Maag among its producers. Czech company Wilma Film handled local production during the shoot.
Czech locations doubled as the Eastern Front
Much of Der Tiger was filmed in Prague and across the Czech Republic between September and November 2023. The production spent 36 shooting days in the country, utilizing a mix of natural and constructed locations to recreate the devastated landscapes of the Eastern Front.
Key sites included the military training grounds in Milovice nad Labem, the open-air historical village at Řepora, and the countryside around Lenešice and Vojkovice Lake. Additional sequences were staged in the mountain region near Králíky, while Barrandov Studio provided facilities for interior work and controlled set pieces.
The Czech Republic’s well-developed infrastructure for war-themed filmmaking, including access to military equipment and authentic landscapes, made it a natural choice for the production. The shoot involved large-scale practical effects, including battle sequences and tank maneuvers.
Anti-war themes and Amazon’s strategy
While Der Tiger is set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany’s Eastern Front campaigns, the filmmakers emphasize its anti-war stance. In press statements, producers describ the project as an exploration of the destructive machinery of war and the psychological toll on young men sent into combat.
“This special film deserves the biggest stage,” says Philip Pratt, head of German originals at Amazon MGM Studios, framing the release as part of a strategy to build a stronger presence for German originals. “Der Tiger will be our first German Original that we’re bringing to the big screen,”
The decision reflects the growing trend of streaming platforms testing theatrical distribution models, particularly for prestige international productions.
“I am overjoyed that Der Tiger will see the light of the big screen,” says director Gansel. “This commitment to the quality of our film from Amazon MGM Studios and CineStar makes me, the entire cast, and crew very proud.”
For Prague, the shoot adds to a long tradition of hosting major World War II films, from Hollywood titles like Anthropoid and Jojo Rabbit to recent German productions like Blood & Gold. The Czech Republic’s landscapes and period architecture continue to attract filmmakers looking to recreate mid-20th-century Europe on screen. With Der Tiger, Czech locations once again served as a key production base for an international project now set to reach global audiences.
