As a group, Nazis are not well-regarded, especially in the movies. They seem to be forever plotting to steamroll over the peaceful, fun-loving nations of the Earth in their quest for global domination, with only whip-wielding anthropologists and the armies of the free world to stand in their way. Nonetheless, Nazis were people, and likely suffered from the same basic ailments most people endure—like mosquito bites, the common cold, and serial killers. And now that last one will be the focus of Blackout, a movie about a serial killer who terrorized Nazi Berlin during the early years of World War II.
The killer in question is Paul Ogorzow, a member of the Nazi party who committed his crimes on and around a section of railway called the S-Bahn, earning him the nickname of “S-Bahn Murderer.” While Ogorzow was at large, Berlin was under forced blackout conditions. After sunset, the only light came from the phosphorous paint on street corners, buses, and commuter trains (a fact sure to keep the film’s director of photography up late into the night, agonizing about the sets). A railway worker himself, Ogorzow took advantage of the situation to carry out his murders. Blackout will revolve around a detective assigned to hunt the S-Bahn Murderer down.
Movies about serial killers are nothing new, but the choice to make one set in a remote time and place could prove interesting. The film also comes with a good pedigree: Blackout is being developed by Brad Fischer and James Vanderbilt of Mythology Entertainment. The pair previously produced David Fincher’s Zodiac, so they come loaded with know-how about how to adapt serial killer stories for the big screen.
[via Variety]