German Star Elyas M'Barek Cast as Vampire in 'Mortal Instruments'

COLOGNE, Germany - Elyas M'Barek, one of Germany's hottest young actors, has been cast as a vampire in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the adaptation of Cassandra Clare's best-selling fantasy novel, which Harald Zwart (Karate Kid) is directing.

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A veteran of German TV sitcoms, M'Barek became one of Germany's biggest box office draws with his starring role in the cross-culture romantic comedy Turkish For Beginners, in which he plays a stereotypical German-Turkish macho.

The film was a huge hit from producer/distributor Constantin Film, which is also producing The Mortal Instruments. The fantasy film, which stars Lily Collins as an ordinary girl forced to fight demons to rescue her mother (Lena Headey), is currently shooting in Toronto. Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Kevin Durand and Jonathan Rhys Meyers also star.

Robert Kulzer is producing The Mortal Instruments for Constantin together with Don Carmody, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne from Unique Pictures. Constantin' film and TV head Martin Moszkowicz is executive producing.

The film is being set up as the first in a possible fantasy franchise, similar to Constantin's hit Resident Evil films, which Kulzer also produced.

Sony Pictures Entertainment will release The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones in the U.S. next summer. Constantin has the film for German release.