Simon Verhoeven's Netflix Directorial Debut: Rom-com to Shoot at the World's Largest Folk Festival

Oktoberfest (WT)

Simon Verhoeven's Netflix Directorial Debut: Rom-com to Shoot at the World's Largest Folk Festival

Director: Simon Verhoeven Producers: Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann & Kirstin Winkler Production Company: Wiedemann & Berg Film

Berlin, 16 September 2026  Director and screenwriter Simon Verhoeven is making his Netflix debut with a romantic comedy set amid the hustle and bustle of Oktoberfest — or the Wiesn, as locals call it. At the heart of the story is a young Wiesn waitress.

Filming begins this week at Theresienwiese, with additional scenes shot at Studio Penzing near Munich.

Simon Verhoeven: "Even as a kid, I loved the madness and wild magic of the Wiesn, so I'm thrilled for the chance to tell a story about this singular place and its people. To me, Oktoberfest is a stage full of comedy and drama, where all kinds of people often meet each other more honestly than anywhere else — and where you might have the most romantic kiss of your life while someone throws up two feet away. What's always fascinated me most are the Wiesn waiters and waitresses — which is why one of them is at the center of our story."

Katja Hofem, VP Content DACH: "We're delighted about this production with one of Germany's most distinguished filmmakers. It's an ambitious undertaking — from shooting on the Theresienwiese to rebuilding the festival tent at Studio Penzing in Bavaria, with around 4,000 extras involved."

The production is being handled by the renowned Wiedemann & Berg Film, led by producer Quirin Berg.

Quirin Berg, CEO of Leonine Studios: "For the whole world, Oktoberfest is a place of longing, charged with spectacular sights and emotions. For us Münchners, the Wiesn is a piece of home. I'm delighted that Simon found such a wonderful story here, and that we get to make this extraordinary film for Netflix and a broad audience."

About W&B Television

Wiedemann & Berg Film was founded in 2003 by Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, followed by the launch of W&B Television in 2010. Since 2020, Wiedemann & Berg has been part of LEONINE Studios, one of Germany's leading independent media companies. LEONINE Studios is part of the MEDIAWAN Group. To date, Wiedemann & Berg has produced more than 170 award-winning films and series, including the Oscar®-winning feature "The Lives of Others," the two-time Oscar®-nominated "Never Look Away," the first-ever German Netflix Original "Dark," the cult series "4 Blocks," "Der Pass" as one of the first Originals for Sky, and most recently the Top 10 thriller "Brick" and the erotic drama "Fall for Me" for Netflix. Current TV projects include the film "Back to the 90s" with the Elevator Boys for Prime Video, the historical true-crime series "Ludwig" for ARD, and the Beatles biopic "Hamburg Days" for AGC Television, ZDF, and the BBC. The acclaimed production company has received numerous honors, including the Academy Award®, BAFTA, Golden Globe, César, German Film Award, European Film Award, and many others. "My Best Friend, His Girlfriend and I" received the Green Motion Label from the Green Shooting working group, as well as the first-ever US "EMA Green Seal – Gold" awarded to a W&B production.

About Simon Verhoeven

Simon Verhoeven was born in 1972 in Munich and studied directing at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Following his feature debut 100 Pro, he had his major breakthrough in 2009 with the comedy Männerherzen, for which he received, among other honors, the Bavarian Film Award for Best Screenplay. With the social comedy Willkommen bei den Hartmanns, on which he also served as producer, Verhoeven created the highest-grossing German film of 2016. The film won the German Film Award, the Bambi, and the Bavarian Film Award, and was nominated for the European Film Award. With Nightlife, he once again delivered the highest-grossing German film of the year in 2020. He then directed and produced the documentary series FC Bayern – Behind the Legend. For his international biopic about Milli Vanilli, Girl You Know It's True, he received the Bavarian Film Award again in 2024, this time for Best Film. That same year brought another major box-office success with the social comedy Alter weißer Mann. Most recently, Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke became a widely discussed cinema phenomenon, delighting audiences and critics alike. The film won multiple honors at the 2026 German Film Awards, including the Bronze Lola for Best Feature Film.

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