Netflix has revealed the cast and a first image from “Oktoberfest,” a German-language romantic comedy directed by Simon Verhoeven. The film is set during Munich’s annual beer festival and follows two strangers from sharply different circumstances who become connected while in the city.
Jeanne Goursaud, known for “Exterritorial,” plays an Oktoberfest waitress and single mother whose personal life is complicated. Jannis Niewöhner, who appeared in “22 Bahnen,” plays a stressed businessman stranded in Munich during a business trip. Their characters are brought together at the festival and gradually discover similarities beneath their different lives.
A cast spanning German and American performers
The ensemble includes German actors Senta Berger, Michaela May, Eisi Gulp and Marlene Morreis, as well as newcomer Bosse Hopperdietz. The international cast also features Peter Gallagher, known for “The O.C.,” Fisher Stevens, who appeared in “Succession,” and Bart Edwards from “The Witcher.”
Verhoeven described the festival as the setting for encounters in which people quickly relax their usual defenses. He said the crowded event allows the movie to place intimate moments alongside the disorder and spectacle associated with Oktoberfest.
“Oktoberfest is a wonderful, crazy place. Nowhere else can you experience perhaps the most romantic kiss of your life while someone is throwing up two meters away. People let their guard down quickly here, and that leads to surprising, honest, human encounters,” Simon Verhoeven said.
Filming began on Sept. 15, 2026, with production taking place on location during Munich’s Oktoberfest. The cast and crew filmed among thousands of festival visitors, inside the event’s real beer tents and across the festival grounds, giving the production access to the setting at the center of the story.
Production moves from the festival grounds to a studio
Production is continuing at Studio Penzing near Munich, where the Oktoberfest environment has been recreated for additional scenes. The film is being produced by Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann and Kirstin Winkler through Munich-based Wiedemann & Berg Film.
- Director: Simon Verhoeven
- Lead cast: Jeanne Goursaud and Jannis Niewöhner
- Production: Wiedemann & Berg Film
- Filming locations: Munich’s Oktoberfest grounds and Studio Penzing
Wiedemann & Berg Film has produced features including “The Lives of Others” and “Never Look Away,” along with television series such as “Dark,” “4 Blocks” and “Pagan Peak.” Netflix has not announced a release date for “Oktoberfest.”
