Netflix’s limited series, “All the Light We Cannot See,” based on Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, has expanded its cast.
Louis Hofmann (pictured far right) will has been cast in the male lead. Hofman will play Werner Pfennig, “a quietly pensive, handsome young German soldier who gets swept up in the brutality of war. Soulful, poetic and honorable with leading man looks, he has a strong moral compass in a complicated world,” his character description from Netflix reads.
Lars Eidinger (pictured far left) will play Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel, described as “a cruel, terminally ill Nazi officer who spends his final days ruthlessly hunting down a prized, legendary diamond believed to give its owner eternal life.”
And Nell Sutton (pictured center), who is legally blind, will make her acting debut playing the young version of Marie-Laure, the blind woman at the heart of the piece. She is described as “thoughtful, curious, intelligent and courageous.”
The actors join Aria Mia loberti, an actress who is blind and who is making her acting debut in the adaptation playing Marie-Laure, a blind teenager whose path collides with a German soldier as they try to survive the devastation of World War II in occupied France, according to the streamer. Ioberti’s casting was announced in December.
Other previously announced cast members including Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie.
Ruffalo will play Daniel LeBlanc, who is described as “the principal locksmith at the Museum of Natural History in Paris,” according to Netflix’s character description. “Caring and clever, he’s determined to give his blind daughter Marie as much independence as he can while also protecting her – and the secret gem they carry – from Nazi occupation.”
Laurie is playing Etienne LeBlanc, described by Netflix as “an eccentric and reclusive World War I hero suffering from PTSD. Etienne LeBlanc is a nervous shut-in who records clandestine radio broadcasts as part of the French Resistance.”
“All the Light We Cannot See” is being produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment, and is written by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”). Levy, who is well-known for his work on Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and who recently helmed the 20th Century Studios feature film “Free Guy,” will direct all four episodes.
Levy, Dan Levine and Josh Barry of 21 Laps Entertainment are the series’ executive producers. Knight will also be an EP. Joe Strechay (“The OA”) will serve as associate producer, blindness and accessibility consultant.