Stan announces new original series The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel (The Irishman) will play the lead role of modern-day Lale Sokolov in the Stan Original Series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The show will be an adaptation of the bestselling novel, which has sold 12 million copies worldwide.

The show will also star Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid) and Anna Prochniak (Baptiste) as young Lale Sokolov and Gita Furman. Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us) will star in the series as New Zealander Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz novel and Jonas Nay (Deutschland 83) will join the series in the role of Stefan Baretzki. 

Further cast joining the series include Tallulah Haddon (The Last Duel) as Hanna, Mili Eshet (Hills) as Ivana, Yali Topol Margalith in her first screen role as Cilka, Phénix Brossard (Benjamin) as Leon, Ilan Galkoff (Good Omens) as Aaron, and Marcel Sabat (Tenet) as Tomas. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is inspired by the true-life story of Lale and Gita Sokolov. Lale (Jonah Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and shortly after arrival, was made one of the tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) while tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. They experience love at first sight, and under constant guard from a volatile SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lale and Gita become determined to keep each other alive. 

60 years later, Lale (Harvey Keitel) meets novice writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Lale decides to tell the world his story. In recounting his story to Heather, Lale, in his 80s, faces the traumatic ghosts of his youth. 

Harvey Keitel says: “The love story in this project, in the face of the horror, gives testimony to the spirit and the goodness of people.”

The Stan original series The Tattooist of Auschwitz is currently in production and will premiere in 2024.