Jannis Niewöhner stars in “Hagen – In the Nibelung Valley”. For his role as Siegfried he had to become “wider and fuller”.
Jannis Niewöhner (32) spoke about his role as the dragon slayer Siegfried von Xanten, which he embodies in the new interpretation of the world-famous Nibelungenlied (cinema release: October 17th). He “had to eat a lot” to become “wider” and “fuller,” he looked back. “Our Siegfried drinks a lot and is not a very conscious person. So I lifted a lot of heavy weights, but also ate a lot of junk food.” For a short time this was “really nice”, but then the transformation turned out to be “very strenuous”.
“Fortunately, he quickly gets rid of the weight he has gained,” explained the actor, who, despite this, “wouldn’t put my body through that again.” He would not go through such a self-imposed “diet” again over such a long period of time as the eight months of filming in Prague, as it was not at all healthy for the body, which would then lack energy. “The better you treat and nourish your body, the more energy it has.”
“Hagen – In the Valley of the Nibelungen”: That’s what it’s about
Weapons master Hagen von Tronje (Gijs Naber, 44) holds the crisis-ridden kingdom together and suppresses his secret love for the king’s daughter Kriemhild (Lilja van der Zwaag). Dragon slayer Siegfried von Xanten (Niewöhner) appears in Worms, endangers the old structures and becomes Hagen’s adversary. King Gunter (Dominic Marcus Singer, 31), who is still inexperienced due to the sudden death of his father, sees in Siegfried the chance to save the empire. He asks him for help to marry the Valkyrie Brunhild (Rosalinde Mynster, 34). When Kriemhild falls in love with Siegfried, there is a bitter battle between men for influence at court and for the heart of the king’s daughter.
The Nibelungen project was directed by Cyrill Boss (49) and Philipp Stennart (49). “Hagen” is planned as both a feature film and a six-part series for RTL+ in 2025. The two projects should differ in the narrative perspective.
Source: Stern
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