
Directing
Wolfgang Petersen
Born — Died
1941-03-14 — 2022-08-12
Place of birth
Emden, Germany
Known for
Directing
Credits
64 titles
Wolfgang Petersen was a German-born screenwriter, producer and film director who spent most of his career in the United States. In the 1960s he began working directing plays at the Ernst Deutsch Theater in Hamburg. After becoming interested in theater in Berlin and Hamburg, Petersen attended the Berlin Film and Television Academy (1966-70). His first productions were for German state television, and it was during his work on the popular crime series Crime Scene that he met actor Jürgen Prochnow, who would later appear in his iconic film Das Boot (1981). His other films include The NeverEnding Story (1984), cult film Enemy Mine (1985), Shattered (1991), In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1…
Known for
4.7Every evening at 6:45 p.m. sharp, a prominent guest takes a seat on the red sofa—and DAS! provides daily updates on what's hot in the north.
DAS!
1991
6.6No synopsis available yet.
NDR Talk Show
1979
5.6A long-running German-language entertainment television show based on the format of the British show You Bet! and the American show Wanna Bet?.
Wetten, dass..?
1981
9.0The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.
Bambi
1948
7.2In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
Troy
2004
6.5When Russian neo-nationalists hijack Air Force One, the world's most secure and extraordinary aircraft, the President is faced with a nearly impossible decision to give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country's dignity, but the lives of his wife and daughter.
Air Force One
1997
Film credits
2020s · 2 titles
7.5In 1981, a film about the misadventures of a German U-boat crew in 1941 becomes a worldwide hit almost four decades after the end of the World War II. Millions of viewers worldwide make Das Boot the most internationally successful German film of all time. But due to disputes over the script, accidents on the set, and voices accusing the makers of glorifying the war, the project was many times on the verge of being cancelled.
Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
2021
6.5The international success of the film Das Boot by Wolfgang Petersen made U-96 one of the most famous submarines in cinematic history. But the true story of one of Hitler's most fearsome U-boats and its crew goes far beyond fiction. For the first time, this documentary sheds light on the reality behind the fiction through exclusive interviews with the makers and actors of Das Boot, as well as the last survivors of the time. In doing so, this documentary explores how Hitler's propaganda images may have influenced the visual and narrative force of Das Boot.
U-96, The True Story of 'Das Boot'
2023
2010s · 4 titles
6.0A documentary about German cinema from 1960 to 1990. It follows "Verfluchte Liebe deutscher Film."
Open Wounds – A Journey through German Genre Films
2017
No synopsis available yet.
Der Bernd
2012
Documentary about Hollywood.
Stardust Hollywood - Sternenstaub und Götterwelten
2013
NRAuthor Gundolf S. Freyermuth goes Back to the Boat with director Wolfgang Petersen, star Jürgen Prochnow, and others to discuss the production of 'Das Boot'.
Wolfgang Petersen: Back to the Boat
2011
2000s · 2 titles
Twenty-five years after the death of Holger Meins, filmmaker and former student friend of the deceased, Gerd Conradt takes an in-depth look at the helmsman of the Baader-Meinhof gang. Who was Holger Meins? What led him into the underground? What circumstances resulted in his death, a death which made him the declared symbol of the radical opposition in Germany? What remains of his legacy?
Starbuck Holger Meins
2002
No synopsis available yet.
Gottschalk meets Petersen
2005
1990s · 1 titles
1980s · 2 titles
7.2While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.
The NeverEnding Story
1984
5.5Comprehensive classic piece that looks at the process of creating the movie, told with a strong, well-constructed narrative that plays almost as a movie itself, a detailed retelling of how the movie was made and the dedication to authenticity that's evident right down to the finest little details on the ship. After a narrator sets the scene for various segments from the film, the piece takes its time to take a closer look at all of the elements that are necessary to create the movie and the challenges of shooting such a labor- and authenticity-intensive picture.
Das Boot: Behind The Scenes
1981
Series credits
4.7Every evening at 6:45 p.m. sharp, a prominent guest takes a seat on the red sofa—and DAS! provides daily updates on what's hot in the north.
DAS!
1991
6.6No synopsis available yet.
NDR Talk Show
1979
5.6A long-running German-language entertainment television show based on the format of the British show You Bet! and the American show Wanna Bet?.
Wetten, dass..?
1981
9.0The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.
Bambi
1948
No synopsis available yet.
Goldene Kamera
1984
Annual awarding of the Grimme Awards.
Grimme Award
1964
5.5HBO First Look is an American television show on HBO that chronicles up and coming movies. It first started in 1992 with a documentary on A League of Their Own starring Tom Hanks, and still airs today. The series shows behind-the-scenes looks at the filming and interviews with the actors. The show is part documentary and part advertisement. It airs on HBO with no set schedule.
HBO First Look
1992
No synopsis available yet.
Bavarian Film Awards
1979
No synopsis available yet.
Na sowas!
1982
No synopsis available yet.
Please Turn the Page
1977
6.1Documentary biography series featuring profiles of various famous film directors.
The Directors
1999
No synopsis available yet.
Bio’s Bahnhof
1978
Legends recount legends who dominated German cinema in the 1940s and 1950s – with stories that are funny, dramatic, and informative. Among others, Margot Hielscher, Peter Kraus, Ernst Stankovski, Joachim Fuchsberger, Margit Saad, and Douglas Sirk talk about their experiences with stars of the past.
Filmlegenden. Deutsch
2006
Behind the camera
7.2In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
Troy
2004
7.2In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.
Troy
2004
6.5When Russian neo-nationalists hijack Air Force One, the world's most secure and extraordinary aircraft, the President is faced with a nearly impossible decision to give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country's dignity, but the lives of his wife and daughter.
Air Force One
1997
6.5When Russian neo-nationalists hijack Air Force One, the world's most secure and extraordinary aircraft, the President is faced with a nearly impossible decision to give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country's dignity, but the lives of his wife and daughter.
Air Force One
1997
6.5In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail.
The Perfect Storm
2000
6.5In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail.
The Perfect Storm
2000
7.3Richard Martin buys a gift, a new NDR-114 robot. The product is named Andrew by the youngest of the family's children. "Bicentennial Man" follows the life and times of Andrew, a robot purchased as a household appliance programmed to perform menial tasks. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martin family soon discovers they don't have an ordinary robot.
Bicentennial Man
1999
7.0Veteran Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan is a man haunted by his failure to save President Kennedy while serving protection detail in Dallas. Thirty years later, a man calling himself "Booth" threatens the life of the current President, forcing Horrigan to come back to protection detail to confront the ghosts from his past.
In the Line of Fire
1993
7.2While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.
The NeverEnding Story
1984
7.2While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.
The NeverEnding Story
1984
6.6A deadly airborne virus finds its way into the USA and starts killing off people at an epidemic rate. Col. Sam Daniels' job is to stop the virus spreading from a small town, which must be quarantined, and to prevent an over reaction by the White House.
Outbreak
1995
6.6A deadly airborne virus finds its way into the USA and starts killing off people at an epidemic rate. Col. Sam Daniels' job is to stop the virus spreading from a small town, which must be quarantined, and to prevent an over reaction by the White House.
Outbreak
1995
5.9A packed cruise ship traveling the Atlantic is hit and overturned by a massive wave, compelling the passengers to begin a dramatic fight for their lives.
Poseidon
2006
5.9A packed cruise ship traveling the Atlantic is hit and overturned by a massive wave, compelling the passengers to begin a dramatic fight for their lives.
Poseidon
2006
8.1A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.
Das Boot
1981
8.1A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.
Das Boot
1981
7.0A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting; they band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.
Enemy Mine
1985
6.2Dan Merrick comes out from a shattering car accident with amnesia. He finds that he is married to Judith who is trying to help him start his life again. He keeps getting flashbacks about events and places that he can't remember. He meets pet shop owner and part time private detective Gus Klein who has supposedly done some work for him prior to the accident. Klein helps Merrick to find out more...
Shattered
1991
6.2Dan Merrick comes out from a shattering car accident with amnesia. He finds that he is married to Judith who is trying to help him start his life again. He keeps getting flashbacks about events and places that he can't remember. He meets pet shop owner and part time private detective Gus Klein who has supposedly done some work for him prior to the accident. Klein helps Merrick to find out more...
Shattered
1991
6.2Dan Merrick comes out from a shattering car accident with amnesia. He finds that he is married to Judith who is trying to help him start his life again. He keeps getting flashbacks about events and places that he can't remember. He meets pet shop owner and part time private detective Gus Klein who has supposedly done some work for him prior to the accident. Klein helps Merrick to find out more...
Shattered
1991
5.9After losing their respective nest eggs thanks to a bumbling bank employee, three men use him to plot a bold and batty heist to get their money back.
Four Against the Bank
2016
6.2Thomas, the son of a prison warden, falls for Martin, one of the prison inmates. After Martin is released, they try to build a relationship and a life together but, no one will leave them alone.
The Consequence
1977
6.2Thomas, the son of a prison warden, falls for Martin, one of the prison inmates. After Martin is released, they try to build a relationship and a life together but, no one will leave them alone.
The Consequence
1977
7.0A staging of a young man's liberation from his bourgeois confinement using only music and sounds.
Ich Nicht
1969
7.0A staging of a young man's liberation from his bourgeois confinement using only music and sounds.
Ich Nicht
1969
7.0A young woman takes the train to Berlin. She wants to kill her friend Wolf, a theater actor. When the woman meets him, he tells her about his weird wife.
I Will Kill You, Wolf
1971
7.0A young woman takes the train to Berlin. She wants to kill her friend Wolf, a theater actor. When the woman meets him, he tells her about his weird wife.
I Will Kill You, Wolf
1971
6.3One evening, the once successful architect Helmut is tired of the recession giving no jobs, he gets the idea of robbing a bank. He recruits members of his golf club that are not paying their fees.
Four Against the Bank
1976
6.3A scientist who swore off playing chess after a nervous breakdown as a boy wunderkind, creates an undefeated chess program. But the Russian world champ beats Tommy Rosemund's masterwork in a televised match. So the West German mathematician becomes a top chess pro himself, which the West German media boast will prove the superiority of Germany and democracy. The jowly, white-faced Rosemund believes that the entire Red Communist bloc is out to stop him from vanquishing their atheist pretty boy, Stefan Koruga, to become the next Bobby Fischer and a symbol that capitalism is preferable to socialism.
Black and White Like Day and Night
1978
4.8Psychological thriller that focuses on the intense conflict between a university professor and a blackmailer.
One or the Other of Us
1974
8.0Dutch police officer Van der Valk is pulled away for a private investigation for a friend of the chief of police to find the missing junior manager. When he gets to know his woman, he is fascinated by the thought of running away with her.
Van der Valk and the Rich
1973
Directorial debut of Wolfgang Petersen
Stadt auf Stelzen
1965
Two young oil salesmen from Hamburg, who are tasked with buying oil from the Middle East as cheaply as possible for their company, get caught up in a clash between a local gang of drug smugglers and the police. Each stage of this dangerous adventure could earn them either twenty years in prison or liquidation by the gang. The appearance of a beautiful, somewhat enigmatic woman adds to the allure. Two middle-class existences in a foreign country, confronted with the rude methods of the police and criminal elements, form the field of tension in this adventure story, which was produced with an international cast.
Pinned to the Ground
1974
Early 1970s. Anna, a 35-year-old medical assistant, falls in love with Totó, a Sicilian she meets while on holiday. When he joins her to start a new life together, their happiness is overshadowed by the prejudice of the time. Afraid of society's judgment, Anna hides their relationship, gradually forcing Totó into isolation.
Anna and Totó
1972
5.9Every day they clean the dirty windows of their cars from the filthy film that has formed overnight. Measuring stations call a low smog warning. But one day a soccer player collapses on the pitch with breathlessness.
Smog
1973
A fictionalized version of a military training fight.
Planübung
1977
A fictionalized version of a military training fight.
Planübung
1977
When Hans wakes up one morning, he realizes that he is longer than his bed, his feet sticking out over the edge of the bed. The young man remembers his happy childhood. Hans knows it's time to leave home.
Hans in Luck
1976
10.0One man interacts with an invisible orchestra, another one is stuck in a bin.
Der Eine - der Andere
1967
10.0One man interacts with an invisible orchestra, another one is stuck in a bin.
Der Eine - der Andere
1967
