Trials of Nazis were ‘proud moment’ in US military history, film director says ahead of premiere

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — The 13-year filmmaking journey that director James Vanderbilt undertook for his latest movie at times seemed as impossible as the events it conveys were deemed to be.

But with “Nuremberg” set to premiere Friday in stateside and U.S. military base theaters, the odyssey to bring author Jack El-Hai’s book “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist” to the silver screen is almost at an end.

Both recount the story of an Army doctor who evaluated captured Nazi leaders ahead of the Nuremberg trials, a watershed in war crimes accountability that got underway 80 years ago this month.

“One of the things that was incredible for me that I discovered during my research is I thought the trials were kind of a foregone conclusion,” Vanderbilt said in an interview Monday.

James Vanderbilt provides instruction to Leo Woodall.

Director James Vanderbilt, right, provides instruction to actor Leo Woodall on the set of "Nuremberg" in 2024. (Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

“Our film talks a lot about how hard it was to make those trials happen, how potentially dangerous it could have been to give these men another platform on the world stage, but also how important it was to put them on trial, to get on the record the types of crimes that they committed.”

The all-star cast features Russell Crowe playing Hermann Göring, the Nazi of the book title, and Rami Malek as psychiatrist Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley.

The film is slated to premiere at 7 p.m. Friday at Ramstein Air Base’s KMCC Theater and will continue across Germany in the coming days, said Chris Ward, a spokesman for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

The first showing in Bavaria is planned for Saturday at Grafenwoehr’s Tower Barracks, and a screening at U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, just 25 miles southwest of Nuremberg, will take place Sunday at 6 p.m.

Vanderbilt said he made the movie to honor the men and women who fought in World War II and then had to secure the peace. He also wanted to make sure that the lessons of the past are not forgotten.

“We worked really hard to be as accurate as possible,” he said. “I hope we did you proud, because I think this is a really proud moment in the history of the U.S. military and of our country.”

Held in the title city’s Palace of Justice, the Nuremberg trials began Nov. 20, 1945, three months after the U.S., France, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom signed a charter creating an international military tribunal to try German leaders.

Rami Malek, left, and Russell Crowe portray U.S. Army psychiatrist Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley and Nazi official Hermann Göring, respectively, in the film “Nuremberg,” which premieres starting Nov. 7, 2025, in the United States and on military bases in Germany. (Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

The courtroom in the film “Nuremberg” was designed using the original building plans of the trial venue in Nuremberg, Germany, and the plans were followed down to the inch, director James Vanderbilt said. (Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

U.S. Army psychiatrist Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley is played by Rami Malek in the film "Nuremberg," which premieres Nov. 7, 2025. (Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

Hermann Göring, played by Russell Crowe, is taken into custody by U.S. soldiers in the film "Nuremberg." Göring was among the Nazis put on trial in 1945 in Nuremberg, Germany. (Kata Vermes/Sony Pictures Classics)

A soldier stands at a podium during a trial.

Russell Crowe plays Nazi official Hermann Göring in the film "Nuremberg." Göring was among the defendants in the famed Nuremberg trials, and the movie's release nearly coincides with the 80th anniversary of the start of the proceedings. (Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

Twenty-two top Nazi officials stood trial on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes and others. Defendants included Göring, Hitler’s deputy; deputy leader of the Nazi party Rudolf Hess; Admiral Karl Dönitz; and the governor-general of occupied Poland, Hans Frank.

Proceedings included testimony and films shot by U.S. soldiers liberating concentration camps. After the verdicts on Oct. 1, 1946, a dozen of the defendants were sentenced to death. Göring died by suicide using cyanide the night before his execution.

The film was shot in Hungary, but the courtroom was replicated to the inch using the actual building plans, Vanderbilt said.

“Nuremberg” starts on the day of Germany’s initial surrender, May 7, 1945. Kelley thinks he is going home but is instead sent to evaluate members of the Nazi high command, including Göring.

“We talked a lot about ‘Silence of the Lambs,’” these two men sort of being in the cell up against each other, they’re both trying to get something over on the other,” Vanderbilt said.

The film also centers on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, played by Michael Shannon, who lobbied for the criminal proceedings and served as the chief American prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials.

Crowe signed on in 2019, which really propelled the production forward and attracted more acclaimed cast members and financiers, Vanderbilt said. He described the Oscar-winning Crowe’s “three-dimensional” performance as “chilling.”

In a conversation with with podcaster Joe Rogan on Wednesday, Crowe talked about the nuance of the role of Göring.

“A lot of things in this story are way bigger than what we know and commonly understand,” Crowe said. “That’s what I was looking for, to try and find a way to understand his base motivations.”

Nuremberg is not holding any events related to the film premiere but is planning to use its release to draw attention to the city’s historical significance, said municipal tourism spokeswoman Franziska Steyer.

A movie poster for “Nuremberg,” which premieres at U.S. military installations in Germany starting Nov. 7, 2025. Directed by James Vanderbilt, it is the latest Hollywood movie about the landmark Nuremberg trials, which began 80 years ago this month. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Officials are also planning a slate of 80th anniversary events, including guided tours, lectures, and panel discussions from Nov. 20-23, city spokesman Andreas Franke added.

A release date for the movie in Germany has not been determined. Some other European countries that have a significant U.S. military presence do have premieres of the film upcoming: the U.K. on Nov. 14; Poland on Nov. 28 and Italy on Dec. 18.

Vanderbilt also emphasized the repercussions of the Nuremberg trials, saying that without them, it may have been easier to excuse or deny Nazi war crimes.

“There are a lot of lessons that came out of that period of time … where everybody kind of came together to choose justice over vengeance and do the right thing,” he said.

Stars and Stripes reporter Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report.

Showtimes:

Ramstein Air Base’s KMCC Theater

Nov. 7: 7 p.m.

Nov. 8: 6:15 p.m.

Nov. 9: 6:15 p.m.

Nov. 11: 5 p.m.

Nov. 14: 7 p.m.

Nov. 16: 5:45 p.m.

Spangdahlem Air Base’s Skyline Theater

Nov. 9: 7 p.m.

U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria’s Grafenwoehr Tower Theater