Harvey Keitel aboard “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”

Harvey Keitel will star in Sky/Peacock’s upcoming TV adaptation of The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz.

The Oscar nominee Irish star plays the modern-day Lale Sokolov. His younger self is played by Jonah Hauer-King, who arrives at Auschwitz in 1942 and is hired as one of the tattoo artists tasked with tattooing identification numbers on the arms of fellow prisoners.

Some 60 years later, Sokolov van Keitel meets the budding writer Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey). Recently widowed, Sokolov finds the courage to tell his story to the world while confronting the traumatic ghosts of his childhood. Other main actors are Anna Próchniak and Jonas Nay. Other cast members include Tallulah Haddon (Kiss me first, the last duel) as Hanna, Mili Eshet (Beyond the mountains, hills) as Ivana, Yali Topol Margalith in her first film role as Cilka, Phénix Brossard (Little Joe, Benjamin) as Leon, Ilan Galkoff (Good omens, Hilda) as Aaron and Marcel Sabat (Tenet, The Children of Windermere) as Thomas.

Morris wrote the best-selling book and is story consultant for the project by Synchronicity Films and Sky Studios, with Jacquelin Perske as lead writer.

Keitel said: “The love story in this project, despite the horror, testifies to the spirit and goodness of the people.” He also acts in thrillers hellfire and recently signed to an action film The wreckr opposite The fast and the furious Tyrese Gibson.

The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz is one of Peacock’s most prominent recent projects, which is owned by Sky and Comcast. The series is co-produced by Sky Studios and Peacock, with NBCUniversal Global Distribution and All3Media International jointly handling international distribution of the series. Sky is broadcast in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Viaplay has acquired rights in a number of other European territories and Stan is broadcast in Australia.