Andy Serkis Joins Woody Harrleson’s Psychological WW2 Thriller

Woody Harrelson previously played the villain to Andy Serkis‘s Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes, but now, they’ll have a chance to play opposite each other again in very different roles. Serkis has been cast to join Harrelson in the upcoming World War II psychological thrillerThe Man with the Miraculous Hands in the role of notorious German official Heinrich Himmler. The news comes as SND boards the film to handle international sales rights ahead of Cannes next week. Principal photography on the film, which was first announced with Harrelson in the lead role in 2021, is slated to begin this fall.

Based on the novel by Joseph Kassel, The Man with the Miraculous Hands is based on the true story of Felix Kersten (Harrelson), a widely renowned medical masseuse who is thrust into the role of Himmler’s personal doctor. As the powerful Nazi officer and architect of the Holocaust’s health continues to fail and his influence continues to grow, the apolitical Kersten finds himself in a precarious position. He’s able to influence what goes on under Himmler’s command atop the Third Reich using his medical skills as his weapon. Although each attempt he makes to sway the officer against Adolf Hitler could cost him his life, Kersten manages to save thousands of lives while working with one of history’s most evil figures.

In addition to reuniting Harrelson with Serkis, The Man with the Miraculous Hands also re-teams him with writer-director Oren Moverman. The pair had previously worked together on The Messenger, another acclaimed war drama that scored Moverman an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay alongside Alessandro Camon and Harrelson a Best Supporting actor nomination. This latest film will finally bring Moverman back behind the camera for a feature-length production for the first time since his 2017 project, The Dinner. Vendôme’s Philippe Rousselet, who is a producer aboard the WWII film, had high praise for the screenplay, saying, “We have been working with Oren for some time on developing this project and his script is just spectacular. His long-established relationship with Woody is the foundation, and we are looking forward to bringing this phenomenal story to life with Andy and our close collaborators at SND.”

What Has Serkis Been Up to Heading Into the WWII Thriller?

Serkis is a legendary actor at this point, known for his appearances in big budget franchises from Star Wars toThe Lord of the Rings trilogy and, of course, Planet of the Apes. He’s slated to make a major return to one in particular, as he was recently announced to reprise his role as Gollum and direct the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will reunite him with Peter Jackson. It’s slated as the latest of multiple new Middle-earth-set features, but it’s not the only major project on the horizon for him. Serkis is also attached as the director and producer of an animated Animal Farm adaptation that he’s described as a “Family Film,” and is slated to return as Alfred Pennyworth for Matt Reeves‘s The Batman sequel.