Almost everyone in Germany has probably heard of the Nibelungen saga. The fantasy story, first written down around 1200, survived the Middle Ages and made Siegfried, the dragon slayer, a German national hero when it was adapted by Richard Wagner’s opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung. This famous legend will also take part next week Hagen – In the Nibelung Valley as a large-scale cinema production – but with a twist.
Fantasy film Hagen gives the German heroic epic a dark new direction
The Kingdom of Burgundy with the capital Worms loses its king in battle and is threatened by war. The young, crowned successor Gunter (Dominic Marcus Singer) has to reorient himself with his loyal henchman Hagen (Gijs Naber) and considers marrying his sister Kriemhild (Lilja van der Zwaag) for a profitable alliance. But then the mysterious fighter Siegfried von Xanten (Jannis Niewöhner) appears on the scene and offers to help bring the powerful Valkyrie Brunhild (Rosalinde Mynster) to their side.
Anyone who now believes that the heroic Siegfried is the focus of the remake of the Nibelungenlied should take another look at the title of the film. Because unlike most adaptations of the story, the fantasy film with Hagen moves away from it Adversaries in the center. So the villain who is known for having murdered the dragon slayer through his only vulnerable spot on his back after the dragon bloodbath.
Based on the novel Hagen von Tronje * by the famous German fantasy author Wolfgang Hohlbein, the new film turns the tables: Hagen becomes the secret hero herewho, as a loyal advisor, tries to hold his homeland together to the best of his ability while secretly in love with Kriemhild. Dragon Slayer Siegfried, on the other hand, is an arrogant assholethat can be celebrated and doesn’t care about the lives of others.
When does the German fantasy epic Hagen start in cinemas?
The fantasy film Hagen by the directing duo Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert (Neues vom Wixxer) celebrates its cinema release next Thursday October 17, 2024. In addition to its release in cinemas, a longer series version of the fantasy adaptation, Hagen – Im Tal der Nibelungen, will also appear on RTL+ in 2025.
Even more fantasy epics in the podcast: How good was season 2 of the Lord of the Rings series?
After 8 episodes, the second season of Amazon’s big fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has come to an end. Middle-earth fans Esther from Moviepilot and Sebastian from Filmstarts draw conclusions after the grand finale and discuss highlights and missteps of the return.
At this point you will find external content that complements the article. You can display it and hide it again with one click.
Did the wizard reveal succeed? Does the great battle deliver what it promised? And what do Sauron, Galadriel and Co. plan to do next as we look at Season 3 theories?
*. If you purchase through this link, we will receive a commission.