Drive – The Pretenders (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

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Drive – The Pretenders follows a young race car mechanic whose fake engagement to a notorious racing star serves two hidden purposes. As the arrangement becomes harder to control, the pair must face the consequences of a deception that may have grown into something more personal.

Drive – The Pretenders is a German thriller-romance centered on racing, ambition and a relationship built on deception. The story follows a young mechanic who presents a false engagement for public reasons while pursuing a private opportunity of her own.

As the arrangement continues, its original purpose becomes less clear. What begins as a calculated agreement places both people at risk, especially when the supposed game develops emotional consequences neither may have expected.

Drive – The Pretenders movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows Sarah Jenkins, a young race car mechanic who fakes an engagement to Dante Annunziata, described as the most scandalous racing star on the scene. Publicly, the relationship is intended to repair his reputation. Privately, Sarah uses the arrangement to seek her own opportunity behind the wheel.

The deception gives Sarah a path toward the racing world, but it also creates growing complications. As the arrangement becomes more than a practical performance, the lie threatens the plans, reputations and personal stakes of everyone involved. The story is based on a novel or book and combines a racing setting with romance and thriller elements.

What to expect

Drive – The Pretenders combines the competitive world of racing with a fake-relationship premise. Its central tension comes from Sarah and Dante’s conflicting motives: one needs a reputational solution, while the other wants access to a chance behind the wheel.

The thriller element suggests pressure surrounding the deception, while the romance component focuses on the possibility that the staged engagement becomes emotionally genuine. The supplied premise also points to themes of ambition, public image and the risks of pursuing an opportunity through an ulterior motive.

Cast and creative team

Lisa-Marie Koroll plays Sarah Jenkins, with Amin Baahmed as Dante Annunziata. The cast also includes Gustav Schmidt as Ruben, Mišel Matičević as Bronson, Lucie Heinze as Tanya, Frederic Linkemann as Jack, Inka Friedrich as Irene Jenkins, Jeanette Hain as Sofia Annunziata, Philippe Brenninkmeyer as Richter and Steven Gätjen as himself.

Sergej Moya directs the film. The screenplay is credited to Chris Silber and Malina Nwabuonwor.

• Lisa-Marie Koroll as Sarah Jenkins
• Amin Baahmed as Dante Annunziata
• Gustav Schmidt as Ruben
• Mišel Matičević as Bronson
• Lucie Heinze as Tanya
• Frederic Linkemann as Jack
• Inka Friedrich as Irene Jenkins
• Jeanette Hain as Sofia Annunziata
• Philippe Brenninkmeyer as Richter
• Steven Gätjen as Self

Release and production context

Drive – The Pretenders is a German production from Bavaria Fiction, spoken in German. It is dated October 28, 2026, and is listed with a released status. No runtime is supplied.

Production companies: Bavaria Fiction

Drive – The Pretenders official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its combination of racing, a false engagement and competing personal motives, Drive – The Pretenders is positioned as a relationship thriller with a clear sporting backdrop. The film’s central question is whether a carefully constructed public lie can remain controlled once genuine feelings and personal ambitions enter the arrangement.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb