I like to think we're pretty on top of casting news, so this one kind of came out of nowhere, but it still sounds interesting.  A press release has announced that Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl (Rush) will star in Florian Gallenberger's new film, Colonia.  The story takes place in Chile in 1973, and has Watson playing a young woman who must join in a cult in order to save her husband (Brühl), who has been kidnapped by Pinochet's secret police.  As the press release notes, this will be Watson's first real starring role since Harry Potter (at most, she's had co-leads to this point; here it sounds like she's the protagonist and Brühl is the supporting character), so that makes this project even more exciting.

Principal photography on Colombia is about to begin, and it will shoot until the end of the year.  Hit the jump for the press release.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Here's the press release:

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING FILMMAKER FLORIAN GALLENBERGER’S ‘COLONIA’, STARRING EMMA WATSON AND DANIEL BRÜHL

BERLIN, GERMANY (September 29, 2014) - Majestic announced today that principal photography is about to begin on thriller COLONIA, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Florian Gallenberger (JOHN RABE).  The film stars Emma Watson (HARRY POTTER, NOAH, THE BLING RING) in her first lead role since Harry Potter and Golden Globe® nominee Daniel Brühl (RUSH, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE FIFTH ESTATE). The film will shoot in Luxem­bourg, Munich, Berlin and South America, until the end of the year.

COLONIA tells the story of Lena and Daniel, a young couple, who become entangled in the Chilean military coup of 1973. Daniel is abducted by Pinochet’s secret police and Lena tracks him to a sealed off area in the South of the country, called Colonia Dignidad.  The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by lay preacher Paul Schäfer but, in fact, is a place nobody ever escaped from. Lena decides to join the cult in order to find Daniel.

Gallenberger is directing COLONIA from a script he and Torsten Wenzel wrote, inspired by true events.  Benjamin Herrmann is producing the feature through his Majestic banner (DESERT FLOWER, JOHN RABE, TOUR DE FORCE).  Nicolas Steil will serve as co-delegate producer through Iris Productions (SUNSET SONG).

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Kolja Brandt (Hector and the Search for Happiness, North Face), production designer Bernd Lepel (Down­fall, The Baader Meinhof Complex), costume designer Nicole Fischnaller (A Most Wanted Man, The Counterfeiters), makeup designers Waldemar Pokromski (The White Ribbon, The Pianist) and Claudine Moureaud (MERCHANT OF VENICE), sound recordist Carlo Thoss (THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING) and editor Hansjörg Weissbrich (Night Train to Lisbon).

Commenting on the creative team behind the project producer Benjamin Herrmann said: “With Florian’s visionary directing style, and two of the most diverse and gifted young actors working today leading our cast, COLONIA is set to become a powerful and important dramatic production.”