The Munich autumn festival opens in just a few weeks, and the initial filming days for the new project will take place there. However, beer tents will not serve as the series’ primary filming location. According to a press release from Netflix, main production will take place in the Penzing studios near Munich, which have previously hosted Hollywood productions.
Who Is Needed for Background Roles
No age or gender restrictions have been announced for candidates; organizers invite all interested individuals capable of presenting “Munich and Oktoberfest as they truly are: loud, colorful, lively, and unforgettable”—as stated in the extra recruitment announcement.
So-called “Bavarian types” are highlighted as a separate category: extras in traditional costumes and brass band musicians. The search also includes beer tent waitstaff, as the job requires the ability to hold multiple full mugs simultaneously—a task not every extra can manage. A separate category has been designated for families with children wishing to participate: ride enthusiasts.
Key Casting Details:
- Recruitment of 4,000 extras of all ages, from children to seniors;
- Separate searches for waitstaff and beer tent personnel;
- Participants in Bavarian traditional attire and brass band musicians are required;
- A portion of the scenes will be shot directly at Oktoberfest, with the remainder in Penzing studios;
- Filming is scheduled to run from September to November.
Project Details Kept Secret
Extra recruitment is being managed by the Munich production company Producer’s Friend. Its head, Marc Körber, confirmed to journalists by phone that details regarding the project cannot yet be disclosed. “Much is indeed kept strictly secret,” Körber explained. “I cannot name the film title, the director, or the international cast, but truly outstanding people are involved in the project”.
According to Körber, the project is a major production aimed at international distribution—otherwise recruiting 4,000 extras would make no sense. Producer’s Friend has organized castings for major international projects filming in Bavaria for years.
Experienced Production Team
The film will be produced by Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg. They founded the company Wiedemann & Berg in 2003 while studying at the Munich University of Television and Film. Their first feature film was The Lives of Others, which won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Since then, the company has released the series Dark, as well as the films Never Look Away, The Three ???, and Nightlife—making this current project with Netflix far from the producers’ first collaboration with the American streaming service. Wiedemann & Berg became part of the Leonine holding company in 2019.
Oktoberfest as a Filming Location
For the festival itself, hosting a film production is not a debut. Oktoberfest has served as a backdrop for various film shoots on numerous occasions. One notable example is Herbert Achternbusch’s 1976 satire Beer Battle, in which the director played the lead role himself. His character wanders the festival grounds in a stolen police uniform, taking pretzels from visitors and drinking from other people’s mugs.
Extras participated in that scene, but no casting was conducted for them: Achternbusch simply filmed unsuspecting festival guests at the time. While the method was controversial, it benefited the picture—the reactions of people on screen appeared entirely natural.
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