Harvey Keitel joins cast of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Harvey Keitel has signed on to star in the eagerly anticipated Sky and Peacock TV adaptation of the Heather Morris novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Keitel will play lead role as the modern-day Lale Sokolov, joining previously announced cast members Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak, Melanie Lynskey and Jonas Nay in the series.

According to the producers' statement, the show “is inspired by the heart-breaking true-life story of Lale and Gita Sokolov. Lale (Hauer-King) arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, and 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 (Próchniak) when tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. They experience love at first sight, and so begins a life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable, and human story. Under constant guard from a volatile SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lale and Gita became determined to keep each other alive.”