European Films

German actor-director Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig is currently overseeing the production of Lissi und der wilde Kaiser (lit. Lissi and the Wild Emperor), which will complete his ‘Bully’ trilogy that started with 2001’s Der Schuh des Manitu (Manitou’s Shoe) and continued with (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Episode 1 (Dreamship Surprise - Episode 1) in 2004. The first two titles together sold over 20 million tickets at the German box office alone. Lissi und der Wilde Kaiser, unlike its two predecessors, will be an animated film.

After spoofing the Karl May universe in Manitu and the Star Wars galaxy in (T)Raumshiff, Herbig will now take on the venerated Sissi series of the 1950s that starred Romy Schneider as the titular Austrian empress. Following the example of his two previous outings, Bully first developed the spoof of Sissi and her husband Kaiser Franz on television. Herbig will lend his voice to the main character (who has been rebaptised Lissi), while Franz will be voiced by comedian Christian Tramitz, who starred in (T)Raumschiff Surprise as Käpt’n Kork and can soon be heard as the voice of Astérix in the German version of Astérix and the Vikings. 

The film is currently in production with a crew of around 130, including many Disney veterans and people who worked on the recent Best Special Effects Oscar winner King Kong. The screenplay was written by Herbig with his longtime collaborator Alfons Biedermann. Lissi und der wilde Kaiser has a July 19, 2007 release date, similar to the summer releases of Bully’s earlier successes.

Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig’s ‘Der Schuh des Manitu’ on amazon.de
Michael ‘Bully’ Herbig’s ‘(T)Raumschiff Surprise - Episode 1′ on amazon.de