Production on the upcoming biopic of German rockersThe Scorpionsis rocking like a hurricane.Wind of Change, which was first announced last month, is already filming, and the band has just released a first look at footage from the film on their Instagram account. The film, which will starThe Crown’sDominic WestandStar Trek: Picard’sEd Speleers, is expected to be released later this year.
In the first-look footage, the band, including lead guitarist Matthias Jabs (Speleers), notes that their distinctive band name came about because they’re “like theBeatles, but more dangerous.” It goes on to show off the band’s formative years, in war-torn post-WWII Germany, and highlights their desire to be “the new generation of Germans.” It showcases their rise to stardom, until they’re filling massive stadiums and becoming hits on both sides of the Iron Curtain: their manager Doc McPhee (West) dubs them “heroes of Leningrad.” And, of course, it’s soundtracked by the title track, which became an iconic anthem of the newfound unity between East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
What Is the Song ‘Wind of Change’ About?
The Scorpions were first founded in Hanover, West Germany, in 1965. By the 1980s, thanks to a successful series of singles andMTVvideos, including “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Still Loving You,” and “Big City Nights,” they had become internationally popular. Along with several other contemporary acts, includingOzzy Osbourne,Mötley Crüe, andBon Jovi, the Scorpions participated in the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989, one of the first heavy metal concerts in the USSR to feature acts from the West. With the Berlin Wall toppling later that year, the Scorpions were inspired to write “Wind of Change,” a ballad that incorporated their memories of Moscow to promote forgiveness and unity between the two halves of the reunited Germany and all the former Soviet Bloc nations. It went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time, selling 14 million copies.
In addition to Speleers and West, the film also starsAlexander Dreymon(The Last Kingdom) as guitarist and band founderRudolf Schenker,Ludwig Trepte(Deutschland 83) as singer and lyricistKlaus Meine, andLuke Brandon Field(Interview With the Vampire) as drummerHerman Rarebell.David Kross(The Reader) will play Andrej, a friend of the band who runs afoul of the authorities on the other side of the Berlin Wall. It is directed byAlex Ranarivelo(Born a Champion), from a script byMark Andrews. It is a production of ESX Entertainment and FOX Entertainment Global.
Wind of Changeis currently in production, and is expected to be released later this year. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
