Oliver Hirschbiegel, the director of Oscar-nominated “Downfall” and European Film Award nominee “The Experiment,” and Peter Harness, the writer, creator and executive producer of Apple TV’s “Constellation,” have boarded the film adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s sci-fi novel “The Inquest of Pilot Pirx.”
They join sci-fi novelist Adrian Tchaikovsky on the project, having been tapped by producers Nafta Films and Film and Music Entertainment to write and update Lem’s original story.
The English-language film tells the story of Commander Pirx, who leads a small group of androids and humans into space. It’s a double Turing test as the crew discover if they are artificial life themselves as well as identify if their fellow crewmates are too. Events turn dangerous when the mission is disrupted by an unknown saboteur.
Hirschbiegel directed the critically acclaimed and commercial triumph “Downfall,” which was a nominee for best foreign-language film at the 2005 Academy Awards, and 2001 European Film Award nominee for best film “Das Experiment.” Further film credits include BAFTA nominated “13 Minutes and Five Minutes in Heaven,” starring Liam Neeson, for which Hirschbiegel won best director at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, and several episodes of “Constellation.”
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As well as “Constellation,” which stars Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, Harness’ credits include writing and executive producing “Wallander” (2012-2015), starring Kenneth Branagh, and “The War of the Worlds” (2019), as well as his debut feature “Is Anybody There?” (2008), starring Michael Caine. Other upcoming projects include “The People vs. Gary McKinnon,” a feature drama for the BBC through his production company Haunted Barn.
Producers Esko Rips and Sam Taylor said that Hirschbiegel and Harness “create compelling, thought-provoking dramas anchored by relatable characters.” They added: “By weaving together themes of AI vs. human, trust and betrayal within a claustrophobic setting — and adding to the mix visionaries like Adrian Tchaikovsky and Stanislaw Lem — they’re charting bold new territory.”
“I have greatly admired the genius of Stanislaw Lem for many years, and I’m thrilled to be reuniting with the brilliant Peter Harness to develop the screenplay,” Hirschbiegel said.
“I loved working with Oliver over the last couple of years and I’m thrilled to be embarking on a new journey into a weird and fantastical universe with him. It’s a true privilege to be allowed to work on a classic story by Lem and I can’t wait to get started,” Harness said.
Hirschbiegel is represented by Charles Collier at Chalcot Square and Jason Burns at UTA. Harness is represented by Lily Williams at Curtis Brown and Ted Miller at CAA.