Anthony Doerr’s epic war novel “All the Light We Cannot See” has been greenlit to a limited series at Netflix. Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment (the production banner behind TV shows “Stranger Things” and “Shadow and Bone,” and films “Free Guy” and “Arrival”) will produce, with Levy directing all the episodes. The book-to-screen adaptation is penned by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”).
The four-part show will center on the story of Marie-Laure, a French teenager who is blind, and Werner, a German soldier, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II, as the show recounts their lives from 1934 to 2014. “All the Light We Cannot See” was published in 2014 and went on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 2015, as well as the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction in 2015. Moreover, the Doerr novel spent more than 200 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and has sold nearly 15.2 million copies globally. It currently holds a 4.3 out of 5 approval rating on book reviews aggregator Goodreads. Doerr’s latest novel, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” is set to be published on Sept. 28, 2021.
Levy, Dan Levine and Josh Barry of 21 Laps Entertainment will executive produce, along with Knight. Joe Strechay (“See,” “The OA”) will serve as an associate producer and a blindness and accessibility Consultant. The producers have begun their worldwide casting search, and actresses who are blind or low-vision are especially encouraged to apply for the lead role of a teenaged Marie-Laure. Those interested can apply by emailing .
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Three new actors join the limited series adaptation, based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
Lars Eidinger (photo by Ingo Pertramer); Nell Sutton (Courtesy of Netflix); Louis Hofmann (photo by Jakob Fliedner)
Netflix’s limited series, “All the Light We Cannot See,” based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, has expanded its cast.
Louis Hofmann (pictured far right)will has been cast in the male lead. Hofman will play Werner Pfennig, “a quietly pensive, handsome young German soldier who gets swept up in the brutality of war. Soulful, poetic and honorable with leading man looks, he has a strong moral compass in a complicated world,” his character description from Netflix reads.
Lars Eidinger(pictured far left)will play Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel, described as “a cruel, terminally ill Nazi officer who spends his final days ruthlessly hunting down a prized, legendary diamond believed to give its owner eternal life.”
And Nell Sutton (pictured center), who is legally blind, will make her acting debut playing the young version of Marie-Laure, the blind woman at the heart of the piece. She is described as “thoughtful, curious, intelligent and courageous.”
The actors join Aria Mia loberti, an actress who is blind and who is making her acting debut in the adaptation playing Marie-Laure, a blind teenager whose path collides with a German soldier as they try to survive the devastation of World War II in occupied France, according to the streamer. Ioberti’s casting was announced in December.
Other previously announced cast members including Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie.
Ruffalo will play Daniel LeBlanc, who is described as “the principal locksmith at the Museum of Natural History in Paris,” according to Netflix’s character description. “Caring and clever, he’s determined to give his blind daughter Marie as much independence as he can while also protecting her – and the secret gem they carry – from Nazi occupation.”
Laurie is playing Etienne LeBlanc, described by Netflix as “an eccentric and reclusive World War I hero suffering from PTSD. Etienne LeBlanc is a nervous shut-in who records clandestine radio broadcasts as part of the French Resistance.”
“All the Light We Cannot See” is being produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment, and is written by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”). Levy, who is well-known for his work on Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and who recently helmed the 20th Century Studios feature film “Free Guy,” will direct all four episodes.
Levy, Dan Levine and Josh Barry of 21 Laps Entertainment are the series’ executive producers. Knight will also be an EP. Joe Strechay (“The OA”) will serve as associate producer, blindness and accessibility consultant.