Peacock is gearing up to share the incredible story of Lali Sokolov with its upcoming novel adaptation, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Today, the streamer released a set of images previewing Jonah Hauer-King and Harvey Keitel as the titular Holocaust survivor at the center of Heather Morris‘s international bestselling book. Inspired by his harrowing recount of the happenings in Auschwitz-Birkenau together with his eventual wife Gita Sokolov, played by Polish actress Anna Próchniak, the new series will premiere on May 2.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz will flip between 1942, when Lali was first taken to the infamous concentration camp, and 60 years later when Morris (Melanie Lynskey) hears his retelling of the events. As a Jewish prisoner, Lali was quickly forced to become a tattooist, giving numbers to each of his fellow inmates as they were brought to Auschwitz. During one of his shifts, he meets the girl of his dreams, Gita, and falls in love at first sight while tattooing her arm. Together, they push each other to endure the brutalities of the Nazi regime, specifically the ruthless SS officer Baretzki (Jonas Nay), and make it out alive. In his 80s and now widowed, Lali then faces the demons of his past while telling Graham everything, reminiscing about the indestructible love he found in one of the most horrific places imaginable.

The Oscar-nominated Keitel appears in two of the images as the older Lali, looking back on old photos and walking through the woods while telling Lynskey‘s Morris everything he remembers. With pain still visible on his face, it’s clear that invoking such bittersweet memories takes a lot of courage for the survivor. The final three shots, meanwhile, depict the camp, which is in stark contrast to his life outside, with nothing but bleak gray tones filling each image. Hauer-King, fresh off of Season 2 of another WWII-era drama in Masterpiece‘s World on Fire, is seen boarding the train to Auschwitz and becoming familiar with the camp and its cruel officer Baretzki. Also depicted is the pivotal moment when Hauer-King and Próchniak meet on screen and immediately see hope in each other’s eyes despite the seemingly hopeless situation for their characters.

Who Helped Bring ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ to Life?

Here's your first look at the brand new Stan Original Series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, based on the international best-seller by Heather Morris. Premieres May 2, only on Stan. #TheTattooistOfAuschwitz #StanOriginals pic.twitter.com/08h1N8J7nk

— Stan. (@StanAustralia) January 17, 2024

Behind the camera for The Tattooist of Auschwitz is Tali Shalom-Ezer with Evan Placey, Gabbie Asher, and Jacquelin Perske writing the script with consultation from Morris. The six-episode limited series also landed Hans Zimmer to create the emotional score alongside previous collaborator and Emmy nominee Kara Talve. Production was handled by Synchronicity Films in association with Sky Studios and All3 Media International, including individual executive producers Claire Mundell for Synchronicity and Serena Thompson for Sky in the process.

Shalom-Ezer and Mundell had glowing praise for the starry cast and were excited to see the final result of their work to recreate these infamous historical locations. Of everyone involved, however, Mundell was especially impressed by the work of Hauer-King and Próchniak for their depiction of Lali and Gita’s most harrowing moments together:

“We knew from the beginning that we wanted Jonah to play Young Lali. 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. They have both delivered career-defining performances in this series.”

The Tattooist of Auschwitz premieres on Peacock in the U.S. and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on May 2. Check out the first look at the upcoming series in the gallery above.

via Collider