Amazon MGM Studios will premiere its German original feature “Der Tiger” in select CineStar theaters on 18 September, the first time the company has sent a locally produced film to cinemas before Prime Video streaming.
Munich‑based PAL Next AG, parent of producer Pantaleon Films, confirmed the release, calling it “a new distribution approach” within its alliance with Amazon. The anti‑war drama is set on the Eastern Front in 1943 and tracks a five‑man Tiger‑tank crew whose mission—and methamphetamine‑fueled paranoia—spirals into psychological collapse.
Director Dennis Gansel, known for Napola and The Wave, co‑wrote the script with Colin Teevan and leads a cast headed by David Schütter, Laurence Rupp, Leonard Kunz, Sebastian Urzendowsky, and Yoran Leicher. Gansel said he was “very happy the film will see the light of the big screen,” praising Amazon and CineStar for backing the theatrical window. Philip Pratt, head of German originals at Amazon MGM Studios, described Der Tiger as “a special film that deserves the biggest stage”.
Industry watchers view the strategy as a bid to generate event status in a crowded streaming market, echoing tactics previously tried by rivals with prestige war titles. Marketed as an unflinching look at wartime guilt rather than battlefield heroics, the film will screen exclusively in CineStar houses before landing on Prime Video later in the year. PAL Next says the move underscores confidence in a project completed in 2024 that combines German production financing with Amazon’s global reach.
Press statements outline the creative team behind the camera: cinematographer Carlo Jelavic, production designer Nick Palmer, costume designer Anke Winckler, and hair‑and‑makeup head Meg Tanner. CineStar managing director Oliver Fock expects strong word‑of‑mouth to boost occupancy during the late‑summer release corridor, which has fewer domestic blockbusters than July and August. Amazon’s German blog highlights the trailer’s grim imagery and stresses that the story is less about combat than the erosion of humanity in claustrophobic steel walls.
By giving Der Tiger a theatrical spotlight, Amazon tests whether culturally specific films can draw German audiences off the couch while still feeding its streaming pipeline—a model that could shape future rollouts across Europe if ticket sales justify the gamble
