King Ludwig II of Bavaria, an eccentric visionary known as the “Fairy Tale King” and also sometimes as the “Mad King,” and his mysterious death are the subjects of a high-end fiction crime drama with the working title Ludwig, which is currently in the works from W&B Television (Pagan Peak, Dark, 4 Blocks). And Beta Cinema unveiled at a London TV Screenings event on Tuesday that it has boarded the series as international partner.
“His death became a famous cold case,” Beta said about the drama about the royal. “But who was he really? Ludwig is a cinematic journey into the king’s fantastical world, rich with pomp and gold. Yet behind all the splendor and spectacle stood a deeply enigmatic man — as mysterious in life as he was in death. Set in the late 1800s in Bavaria, Ludwig is a fascinating and tragic tale of life and queer love, infused with a captivating crime story at its heart.”
The series follows psychologist Gustav Zimmermann who is tasked with reviewing a psychiatric report on King Ludwig II, a document that was designed to determine whether the king was incompetent to rule. “The more he invests in discovering the reasons that led to Ludwig’s removal from power, the closer he gets to revealing the secrets of the king: his struggles with power, his longing for freedom and his profound forbidden love,” according to a synopsis of the drama.
Filming on the series has wrapped at historical locations, including the famous Castle Neuschwanstein and the Residenz, the former royal palace in the heart of Munich. Filming also took place in the Czech Republic.
Up-and-coming talent Luis Pintsch (22 Lengths) stars as King Ludwig II, alongside Felix Mayr (Unorthodox, Senna), who plays psychologist Zimmermann, Aaron Friesz (Corsage, Franz K.), Carlotta Bähre (Ku’damm 77), Jonathan Kriener (Chabos), Tom Wlaschiha (Stranger Things, The Boat), Francis Fulton-Smith (Empire Oktoberfest), and Karl Markovics (The Counterfeiters, Babylon Berlin), among others.
Ludwig is directed by Nina Vukovic (Kleo season 2) and Sebastian Ko (Tatort), who both also served as writers. Head writers are Dominik Kempf and Marianne Wendt. Jan Prahl (The Signal) is the director of photography.
Oliver Vogel, Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, and Dominik Kempf serve as executive producers, Stefan Mütherich as co-executive producer, and Gretha Heisig as associate producer.
“The global fascination with Ludwig is no coincidence,” said Ferdinand Dohna, head of content at Beta Film. “He was a romantic dreamer with rock-star allures, who accepted no compromises when the realization of his visions and dreams was at stake, most notably Neuschwanstein Castle, which famously inspired Disney’s iconic castle logo.”
He added: “Like every good romantic hero, he failed in the end and died under mysterious circumstances at a young age. These are the ingredients for larger-than-life characters, brought to life in this miniseries by an outstanding creative team and magnetic cast that will resonate with audiences around the world.”
Ludwig is produced by W&B Television for ARD Degeto, BR, ServusTV and SRF. The series is supported by the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF), the Bavarian Film and Television Fund (FFF Bayern), with the support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund’s Production Incentive. Beta Film is handling international sales.
