The Marriage of Maria Braun film "Lili Marleen" with Hanna Schygulla in the main role. Horst Wendlandt would produce the two other films in the BRD Trilogy, "Lola" and "Veronika Voss". His success also allowed him to realize his last project, "Querelle" which was co-financed by Gaumont. As Fengler had oversold the rights to the film, the profit share of Fassbinder was an open question. Eckelkamp saw himself as the sole owner of all rights, but sent a check in the amount of 70,000 DM to Fassbinder in 1982 to appease the director. After Fassbinder's death his mother and heiress Liselotte Eder revived the claims,
The Marriage of Maria Braun in a controversy over his stage play "Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod" he was not ready for starting to shoot the film and withdrew to Paris, where he worked on the screenplay for "Berlin Alexanderplatz". Fengler was dreaming of an international star cast for the film. On his suggestion Fassbinder and Fengler visited Romy Schneider and asked her to play the role of Maria Braun. Due to Romy Schneider's alcohol problems, fickleness, and demands, the role was then given to Hanna Schygulla, her first collaboration with Fassbinder in four years. Yves Montand also showed interest in the film,