The return of “MA 2412”: filming at Hardegg

20 years ago, the last tap fell for the series “MA 2412,” which revolves around the staff of a fictitious Vienna office for Christmas decorating. In the two new films Weber und Breitfuss, former colleagues Engineer Breitfuss (Roland Düringer) and Mr. Weber (Alfred Dorfer) are in early retirement and hope to never see each other again. After all, they were not able to stand each other – but of course it turned out differently.

For example, the two meet in rehab and act as extras in the same movie that is being shot at Castle Harding (Hollabron District). “It’s not a sequel to the sitcom In The Office, 25 Minutes With Fake Laughter,” Alfred Dorfer explains in an interview with noe.ORF.at, “but it’s a continuation of the two characters who are forced to retire and always return to meet each other without wanting to because they don’t like each other” .

It was not difficult for them to return to their old roles, say Alfred Dorfer and Roland Düringer. “It’s like riding a bike,” says Düringer. “It’s a moment, not a problem.” Dorfer sees it similarly: “There is absolutely no problem in doing it again. It feels like there has been no interruption.”

The school group awakened the idea of ​​the movie

The two cabaret artists had a common idea for two 45-minute films. “It just so happened that due to the extraordinary situation of the past two years we suddenly found time to meet in private and talk about the old days. That’s when the idea arose if we could do something with the two characters Weber and Brettfuss,” reports Düringer.

It gave a group of schoolchildren in Linz the impetus, Dorfer explains: “They chanted about ‘MA 2412’ and I thought, based only on age, they couldn’t have seen it at a conscious age. That’s when we realized that this story has a cross-generational influence.”

Reunion with old acquaintances

The two lead actors also brought the series’ director, Harald Sicherheitz, on board. “I was asked if I wanted to be there, like I did more than 20 years ago, and it was no surprise that I answered yes,” the director says. We are now in the last days of filming.

Of course, Monica Weinzelt shouldn’t miss her role as “Frau Knackal” – even if she had a few appearances this time around and her role was a little different than her one on the series. “I wasn’t recognized as Mrs. Canakale,” Winzittle says. Without high heels and a short skirt, her role is “based on ‘Frau Knackal.'” But fans of the series don’t have to do without the secretary’s famous screaming voice, she reveals.

“The humor will be the same.”

So what can viewers expect when “Weber und Breitfuss” is shown on TV? “Funny and in a chaotic way” – this is how director Harald Sechritz describes the films. “We haven’t reinvented anything, but I think we can take the audience where we left it at the time,” says Monica Wenszeitl. “The format is 45 minutes long, there are no fake laughs, it’s very cinematic, but I think the humor would be the same,” says Alfred Dorfer.

With the concept of the film, two characters who are “actually a festival, which are neither real-life characters, neither Hare Weber nor Brettfuss” are addressed, says Roland Doringer. “But you can put it anywhere and it will always work.” Even on the set. Ingenieur Breitfuss tries to pay his pension as an extra helper who plays the zombie, while Herr Weber appears as a vampire. “Obviously, the film will not work,” concludes Düringer.

Actual movies about “Weber and Britfuss” should, of course, be a thing. Appearances include Andrea Handler, Eva Belisic, Nina Bruhl and David Jacob. The films are expected to be shown on ORF 1 in 2023.