‘World on Fire’ star is unrecognisable in ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ first pics

Sky has released the first images from The Tattooist of Auschwitz!

The upcoming mini-series is based on the bestselling Holocaust novel of the same name by New Zealand author Heather Morris.

Filming on the six-part adaptation wrapped in Europe last summer.

Coming to our television screens later this year, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is inspired by the real-life story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who met while prisoners in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust.

Here’s our first glimpse of World on Fire actor Jonah Hauer-King and Anna Próchniak (Baptiste) as the young Lali and Gita:

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the story of one man, Lali, a Slovakian Jew, who, in 1942, was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the concentration camp where over a million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust,” the official synopsis reveals.

“Shortly after arrival, he was made one of the Tätowierer (tattooists), charged to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. One day, he meets Gita when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm.

“They experience love at first sight, and so begins a courageous, unforgettable, and human story. Under constant guard from a volatile Nazi SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay from Deutschland 83), Lali and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.”

“Around 60 years later, Lali  meets novice writer Heather Morris. Recently widowed, Lali finds the courage to tell the world his story,” the synopsis continues.

“In recounting his story to Heather, Lali, in his 80s, faces the traumatic ghosts of his youth and relives his memories of falling in love in the most horrific of places.”

Here’s a sneak peek at Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel as the older Lali and Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us) as author Heather Morris:

“We knew from the beginning that we wanted Jonah to play Young Lali,” recalled executive producer Claire Mundell.

“Once Jonah was on board, the challenge was on to find the perfect Gita. Anna was the most wonderful discovery for us during the casting process. She stood out so clearly and it became increasingly clear that only Jonah and Anna could portray the humanity, the spirit, the resistance, and the defiance of Lali and Gita,” she explained.

“They have both delivered career-defining performances in this series,” said Mundell.

Claire Mundell also praised Keitel for his performance as the older Lali, describing his casting as “a dream come true.”

“The commitment and authenticity with which Harvey approached the portrayal of Lali was breath-taking to watch,” she commented.

“It was important that both young and old Lali were played authentically by Jewish actors who were able to deliver the part with nuance, empathy, compassion, and the complexity that we need from that character.”

Jonah Hauer-King returned in the long-awaited second season of World on Fire last year and every episode is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

Heather Morris’s novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz has sold over 12 million copies around the world since its publication in 2018!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz book is available on Amazon.