Gerboth as Newscaster - The Voices Production The film was inspired by the events of the Stanford prison experiment in the US. It is based on the novel Black Box by Mario Giordano. Release and reception Das Experiment premiered on 7 March 2001 in Berlin and was released with a theatrical release in Germany one day later. In the UK it was released on 22 March 2002 as The Experiment and in the United States on 20 September 2002. In a positive review, Roger Ebert stated that he was impressed by the film's effectiveness, even though he viewed its outcome as predetermined. According to Karen Durbin of the New York Times, the movie can be seen as an allegory for the rise of authoritarian governments such as the Nazi regime. Remake An American remake released in 2010 was directed by Paul Scheuring and stars Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, and Cam Gigandet. Filming began in Iowa in July 2009. When the film was still shooting, the North American distribution rights were acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group, which released the film direct-to-video in the United States on 21 September 2010 through its Stage 6 Films label. See also List of films featuring surveillance References External links Movie stills 2001 films 2001 drama films 2001 independent films 2001 psychological thriller films German drama films German independent films German psychological thriller films 2000s German-language films Films directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel Films set in Germany Films shot in Cologne Films shot in Germany German prison films Films based on German novels 2001 directorial debut films 2000s German films