Shortly after the announcement of Andy Serkis joining Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum as both the star and director, Vendôme Group today announced that the award-winning actor will be joining Woody Harrelson in The Man with the Miraculous Hands, a World War II psychological thriller written and directed by Oren Moverman.
The principal photography for the project is set to commence this fall. It will be produced by Vendôme’s Philippe Rousselet and Jerico Films’ Eric Jehelmann, with Vendôme’s Fabrice Gianfermi and Jeremy Plager serving as executive producers.
“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,” said Rousselet.
Serkis has established his name in the movie industry with a slew of remarkable roles in box office hits like King Kong, The Prestige, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and The Batman, among others. He is also known for starring as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy — a role he will revisit for the standalone movie focused on Gollum, reportedly set for release in 2026.
What is The Man With Miraculous Hands about?
The film is said to be a true story that took place in 1939. The official synopsis for The Man With Miraculous Hands reads as follows:
“Felix Kersten (Harrelson), a renowned, apolitical medical masseuse, becomes the personal doctor of one of the most powerful and feared men in Nazi Germany: the chronically ill Heinrich Himmler (Serkis), head of the SS and chief architect of the Holocaust. As war rages all over Europe, and Himmler’s health declines while his authority grows, Kersten finds himself in a unique position to influence decision making on the highest level inside the Third Reich. Playing a very dangerous game that may cost him his life at every turn, and using his medical skills as a weapon, the doctor manages to influence Himmler, turn him against Hitler, and, in turn, save many thousands of lives.”
