Grammy-winning actor and Tony Award nominee Josh Gad is set to star in the upcoming historical drama Gerron’s Last Film, directed by BAFTA- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Simon Curtis, known for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and Woman in Gold. The film is inspired by the powerful and tragic true story of Kurt Gerron, one of the most celebrated Jewish entertainers in pre-Nazi Germany.
CAA Media Finance and WME Independent will represent domestic rights for the project, while international sales will be handled by Rocket Science, which is launching the film to buyers at the European Film Market. Production is scheduled to begin in Q3 2026.
Before the rise of the Nazi regime, Kurt Gerron was a towering figure in German theater and cinema. A successful actor, singer, and director, Gerron was also the original performer of the iconic song “Mack the Knife” from Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. While many of his contemporaries — including Fritz Lang and Marlene Dietrich — fled Germany as the political climate worsened, Gerron chose to remain.
That decision would prove fatal.
Gerron was eventually arrested and deported to the Theresienstadt (Terezín) Ghetto, a Nazi concentration camp that housed many prominent Jewish artists, intellectuals, and musicians. Upon his arrival, camp commander Karl Rahm, who claimed to be an admirer of Gerron’s work, ordered him to direct a propaganda film portraying the camp as a humane and culturally rich settlement.
The film was designed to deceive the international community by showcasing staged scenes of “luxury,” artistic freedom, and normalcy — a cruel distortion of the horrific reality faced by the camp’s prisoners. Given no alternative, Gerron was forced to comply, embarking on what would become the final project of his life.
According to the filmmakers, Gerron’s Last Film will explore not only the making of the propaganda film, but also Gerron’s quiet acts of resistance — using art to offer fellow prisoners brief moments of dignity, connection, and humanity under unimaginable circumstances.
“This is a film that will be universally spoken about and responded to,” Gad said in a statement. “The themes are more relevant today than they have been in decades.”
The actor, who recently wrapped production on Spaceballs 2 and voiced a character in Disney’s upcoming Zootopia 2, emphasized the urgency of the story in today’s global climate.
“I got into this industry to make movies that are important — movies that can start conversations,” Gad said. “I strongly feel in my heart that this is one of those films. It’s imperative that we use the power we have as artists to tell stories that act as warnings, stories that spark dialogue and reflection. This is an important story that checks all of those boxes.”
Director Simon Curtis is no stranger to emotionally complex historical material. His previous work has often focused on untold human stories set against sweeping historical backdrops, making him a natural fit for a project of this weight and sensitivity.
While Gerron’s Last Film is rooted in Holocaust history, those behind the project stress that its message extends far beyond the past. The film aims to examine themes of moral compromise, survival, artistic responsibility, and the cost of silence — issues that remain deeply relevant in the modern world.
As production gears up for 2026, Gerron’s Last Film is already being positioned as a major awards contender and a significant cinematic event, bringing a long-overlooked story to global audiences through the lens of one of today’s most versatile performers.
