Meryem Uzerli to Play Maria Puder in Madonna in a Fur Coat Film
The film's producers have signed her; the Raif Efendi role is still uncast.
Meryem Uzerli will play Maria Puder in a new film adaptation of Sabahattin Ali’s novel Madonna in a Fur Coat (Kürk Mantolu Madonna), according to reports from 10 and 11 November 2026. Euronews Türkçe says the production companies announced that her contract has been signed. The role of Raif Efendi, the other lead, is still open.
Sedat İnci will direct the film. Mert Dikmen wrote the screenplay, and Fikri Harika Production and Saçaklı Film Studios are co-producing.
What we know about the Maria Puder casting
Uzerli is a German-Turkish actress, best known to international viewers as Hürrem Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl. Her return to a major Turkish literary adaptation is therefore a notable casting choice.
Euronews Türkçe reported on 28 October that talks for Maria Puder were under way with Farah Zeynep Abdullah, with no deal confirmed. The later announcement says the producers chose Uzerli instead. Neither report gives a reason for the change, so we will not speculate.
Milliyet adds that Uzerli will travel between Germany and Türkiye during the shoot. Euronews says filming is planned in both countries, with a major part at the historic Babelsberg Studios in Berlin. No shooting dates or release date have been announced.
Why Madonna in a Fur Coat matters to readers
Sabahattin Ali’s novel is one of the most widely read works of modern Turkish literature. Much of it is set in Berlin, and it follows Raif Efendi, a young Turkish man who meets the painter Maria Puder. Her independence and quiet loneliness make her one of the best-known female characters in Turkish fiction.
That reputation explains the public interest. Maria Puder has no single screen image that readers share, so every casting report draws attention. Earlier press coverage floated several names for the part, but none of those reports was confirmed by the producers.
The Raif Efendi question remains open
Both Milliyet and Euronews say the actor for Raif Efendi has not been named. Euronews describes talks as ongoing. Until the producers confirm a name, any list of candidates is speculation.
The film is a screen adaptation, so the plot and characters may differ from the book. The production has not yet said how closely it will follow the novel.
The next official detail to watch for is the Raif Efendi announcement, along with a shooting schedule.
Source: Milliyet, Euronews Türkçe
Featured image: Habertürk
