EXCLUSIVE: Stowaway and The Assessment outfit Augenschein Filmproduktion has hired Daniel Sonnabend as an in-house film and TV producer as it looks to scale up international productions.

Sonnabend, a 14-year vet of Pantaleon, officially joins the German production outfit on March 24th and will report to CEOs Maximilian Leo and Jonas Katzenstein.

Sonnabend recently produced One Hit, No Wonder, the fourth Pantaleon Films collaboration directed by Florian Dietrich and written by Florian David Fitz, who also stars in the film. He made his debut with Busan Audience Award winner Highway To Hellas, and went to produce Vielmachglas, distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, 100 Dinge starring Matthias Schweighöfer and Florian David Fitz, Netflix series Das Letzte Wort, and Paramount Germany release Trauzeugen.

Augenschein recently launched Islands at the Berlin International Film Festival and has The Weight, starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, set to begin production in summer 2025. A24 pic Mother Mary is expected to launch later this year.

“Bringing a skilled producer like Daniel on board is a game-changer for us. His talent, vision, and passion for storytelling perfectly align with augenschein’s mission as we push boundaries, put filmmakers front and center, and take our international productions to the next level. We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” said Augenschein CEOs Maximiliian Leo and Jonas Katzenstein.

Sonnabend commented: “Augenschein has built an impressive reputation for high-quality filmmaking with a global reach. I have long admired their vision and dedication to breaking new ground. I am thrilled to join this outstanding team and look forward to bringing exciting new projects to life together.”

Earlier this year, Augenschein production and sales exec Jonathan Saubach exited the company.