News

Exclusive: The latest original from African streamer Showmax, sci-fi drama The Fix, will open Mip Africa.

This marks the third year in a row a Showmax original has opened the event, which is an offshoot of MIPCOM. Last year, Canal+ co-production Spinners took the slot. Mip Africa is part of Fame Week Africa, a Reed Exhibitions initiative focused on African creativity.

The Fix, written and directed by Kelsey Egan, is set in a dystopian future Cape Town in South Africa where the air is toxic. A model, played by Grace van Dien (Stranger Things), takes a new designer drug at a party and suffers a shocking shocking transformation. She is soon pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, and discovers that her mutations could save the human race.

Cast includes Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead), Clancy Brown (John Wick 4), and Nicole Fortuin from Heart of the Hunter,...

Netflix’s director of content for Africa Dorothy Ghettuba laid out the streamer’s strategy for the continent this week at the Durban FilmMart, telling a standing-room-only session that the key to launching the next global sensation is to first capture the hearts of local audiences.

“We want to entertain the world. We want to tell them African stories,” said Ghettuba. “But our focus first has got to be local, and then it goes global. We don’t aim for global hits. Shows like ‘Casa de Papel,’ ‘Burning Body,’ ‘Squid Game’ — those are local shows.”

The Netflix exec appeared in conversation in Durban with South African producers Jayan Moodley (“Keeping Up With the Kandasamys”) and Katleho Ramaphakela (“How to Ruin Christmas”), who used their personal experience as case studies for how to launch a hit on the global streaming giant.

Ghettuba pointed to titles like “Kandasamys,” a comedy franchise set...

Netflix has had a fair amount of success with its outlandish and unrealistic teen high school dramas in recent times, starting with Elite and its various other versions throughout the world, like Blood & Water or Class. It was, therefore, only a matter of time that another addition of the kind was made in the already popular South Korean market, and the inevitable has finally arrived in the form of Hierarchy. The plot in this seven-episode series follows a new scholarship student named Kang Ha at Korea’s most prestigious institution, Jooshin High School. But Kang Ha’s presence quickly stirs up a recent mystery, and matters of blackmail and past secrets soon crop up. There is hardly anything unique or topical in Hierarchy by its end, and it can be enjoyed only by fans of high school dramas.

Spoiler Alert

What is the Netflix K-drama about?

Hierarchy opens with...

Stars: Cassiel Eatock-Winnik, Bjorn Steinbach, Alex McGregor, Savana Tardieu | Written by Jessica Landry | Directed by Danishka Esterhazy

Killer Body Count is the latest film from, Danishka Esterhazy who has made a name for herself in the genre with Level 16, The Banana Splits Movie, The Slumber Party Massacre and several episodes of SurrealEstate. This time out, working from a script by Jessica Landry she’s returning to the slasher genre with a tale of sex, religion and dead teenagers.

The film begins on a familiar enough note as a couple having sex in a tent find themselves on the receiving end of some unplanned penetration from a figure wearing a monk’s robes and a devil mask. Is it the seminarian who went mad and slaughtered the priests, nuns and their fellow students twenty years ago, or someone cashing in on the legend? That remains to be seen.

From there, Killer...

Netflix’s has unveiled a slate of female-led African projects to coincide with International Women’s Month.

EbonyLife TV boss Mo Abudu will exec produce Baby Farm, a series following Adanna, a young pregnant woman, unknowingly entrusts her unborn twins to a high-profile Ngo, only to discover she’s become a prisoner of a sinister baby farm.

Rita Dominic leads a cast that includes Joseph Benjamin, Onyinye Odokoro, Genoveva Umeh, Langley Kirkwood and Jenny Stead.

Hamisha Daryani Ahuja produces and helms another scripted project, Postcards, following four Nigerians in India discovering their identity through a journey of self-discovery.

Period feature House of Ga’a comes from Bolanle Austen-Peters, who directs and produces. Set in 18th century old Oyo Empire, the film biopic is based on real events and the story of Bashorun Ga’a, a feared prime minister and kingmaker.

The trio of new projects were unveiled at an International...

The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Budgets, production values and outputs are rising, and breakout hits — such as Netflix’s Nigerian thriller “The Black Book” and South African teen drama “Blood & Water” — highlight the power of global streaming services to deliver African stories to audiences around the world.

Yet as evidenced by Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pullout from the African market in January, when the streaming giant announced it was shifting course to focus on “emerging” markets in Europe, a continent that was gearing up for the windfalls of blockbuster deals with deep-pocketed platforms also finds itself at the mercy of those companies’ sometimes fickle streaming strategies. “It feels much more like a studio system,...

The sixth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wraps Sunday, putting a bow on a week that saw many in the host nation reflecting on South Africa’s long journey in the three decades since the end of apartheid. But among the filmmakers and executives taking part in the second Jbx content market the focus was squarely on the future, as Africa’s streaming wars and an eye toward global dealmaking highlighted how the tide has begun to shift in how the world perceives the continent. “What a time to be alive in Johannesburg,” said festival founder Timothy Mangwedi at Saturday’s award ceremony. “What a time to be alive in Africa.”

Here are five takeaways from a busy week in Johannesburg:

Streamers shift strategies but still drive growth

Amazon Prime Video’s abrupt pull-out from the African market in January has left many local producers frustrated and confused. “It...

Blood & Water es una serie creada por Daryne Joshua, Travis Taute y Nosipho Dumisa-Ngoasheng, protagonizada por Khosi Ngema y Ama Qamata.

“Blood & Water” es una de esas series para jóvenes que, bien hechas y con mil argumentos e historias distintas, han Sabido enganchar a miles. Una serie tipo thriller con dos hermanas en centro de todo y en un colegio de los de alta clase, pero la intriga nos ha llevado mucho más allá, y tras tres temporadas de secuestros, tráficos de personas y algún que otro romance, ahora nos llega esta cuarta temporada que promete esto y más.

“Blood & Water” es una serie dirigida a un público juvenil, pero que tiene muchas historias interesantes y que, sobre todo, tiene una calidad de fotografía que la hacen muy interesante. Es una producción televisiva con varias intrigas criminales, románticas y crisis familiares varias: muchas historias entremezcladas en un...

Blood & Water is a series created by Daryne Joshua, Travis Taute and Nosipho Dumisa-Ngoasheng, starring Khosi Ngema and Ama Qamata.

“Blood & Water” is one of those series for young people that has managed to captivate thousands with its well-crafted plot and multitude of different storylines. It is a thriller series that revolves around two sisters at the center of it all, set in a high-class school. However, the intrigue has taken us far beyond that, and now, after three seasons of kidnappings, human trafficking, and some romantic entanglements, we are now presented with the highly anticipated fourth season.

“Blood & Water” is a show aimed at a younger audience, but it offers many interesting stories and, most importantly, boasts high-quality cinematography that makes it very appealing. It is a TV production with several criminal intrigues, romantic subplots, and various family crises all intertwined in a high-class school where anything can happen.

The two big original releases on Netflix this month are Spaceman and 3 Body Problem. In Spaceman, Adam Sandler plays an astronaut alone and far from home who desperately wants to fix things with his wife. When he discovers an enormous alien spider in the bowels of his ship, a conversation between the two gets underway, and Sandler has a chance to make some big changes. To be clear: this is not a comedy!

Meanwhile, new sci-fi series 3 Body Problem hails from Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Along with True Blood writer Alexander Woo, they’ve spun a tale that is set to blow your mind this March. Your mileage may vary, but it certainly looks interesting! And hey, we all love the show’s star, Benedict Wong.

Here’s everything else coming to Netflix this month. Note that Netflix marks its international offerings...

Exclusive: Money Heist: Berlin actor Julien Paschal has signed with international management company Alta Global Media.

The actor appears in the Netflix series playing Francois Polignac opposite star Pedro Alonso and Samantha Siquieros, who plays his wife Camille.

Berlin, which comes from Money Heist creator Álex Pina and Esther Martínez, is based around the life of Berlin, a character from the original series played by Alonso. Vancouver Media produces the show for Netflix, which launched the series globally on December 29 last year.

Set in Paris many years before the events of the original, it sees Berlin as the leader of a criminal gang who undertakes a jewel heist that becomes complicated when he falls in love with the victim’s wife.

Paschal has also appeared in Antidisturbios, which is written and directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and in “Un Año, Una Noche” directed by Isaki Lacuesta.

Exclusive: Wanda Banda has joined the cast of Netflix’s South African teen crime drama Blood & Water.

The show’s fourth season has been shooting in South Africa over recent months and premieres on March 1. The Woman King actress Banda joins a cast also including Ama Qamata, Khosi Ngema and Thabang Molaba.

Blood & Water is set in Cape Town and follows a working-class girl who transfers to the elite Pankhurst School when she begins to suspect one of its students is her sister, who was abducted as part of a child trafficking network shortly after birth.

Season 4 was unveiled as part of Netflix’s content showcase in September last year. The show comes from writer and director Nosipho Dumisa and Gambit Films.

Banda made her film debut in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s feature The Woman King, playing a young version of Viola Davis’ lead character. She has just wrapped...

There was a time when it looked as though Netflix was poised to become the streaming world's answer to HBO.

Like the network that brought you The Sopranos and Deadwood, Netflix created its own niche, and at first, the streaming giant seemed to be focused on supplementing its movie library with a wide array of prestige original series.

But in recent years, the Og streamer abandoned that strategy in favor of an approach that's less ambitious and -- well, more depressing.

These days, there's a pervasive feeling that Netflix is more TBS than HBO.

The platform that delivered Orange Is the New Black, The Crown, BoJack Horseman, and Narcos is now churning out far more pedestrian fare -- basically, the sort of stuff you'd find on basic cable.

The list of series recently renewed by the famously cancel-happy streamer includes:

Outer Banks, Blood & Water, Sweet Magnolias, Hearbreak High, and Savage Beauty.

Netflix has unveiled a new slate of programming at TV conference Mip Africa. The line-up includes the fourth season of hit drama “Blood & Water” plus a new feature-length rom-com, “Soweto Love Story.”

The streamer also revealed a number of partnerships with South African filmmakers and production outfits. Among them are a deal with Akin Omotoso and Ochre Media for multiple book adaptations, a three-picture partnership with director Donovan Marsh (“iNumber Number”), and a multi-project partnership with production company Gambit Films (“Blood & Water”) across series and features.

“We are incredibly excited to continue with our investment in South African storytelling and to expand our relationships with these amazing storytellers,” said Ben Amadasun, Netflix’s VP of content for Middle East and Africa. “These long-term partnerships with local filmmakers have enabled us to uncover unique perspectives and diverse stories from South Africa to entertain our more than 238 million members around the world.

Deals announced today at Mip Africa preview of streamer’s programming in Cape Town.

Netflix has unveiled several multi-title partnerships with South African filmmakers and production houses at a Mip Africa preview in Cape Town.

It included feature film Heart Of The Hunter from South African filmmaker Mandla Dube which will play on the streamer in the first quarter of 2024.

Initially announced in 2022 and the first deal of its kind with a South African filmmaker, Dube has a three-picture deal with Netflix. He previously directed the Netflix film, Silverton Siege and has also directed several episodes of the Netflix South Africa series,...

Netflix has unveiled a swathe of South African content including the first feature from Mandla Dube’s high-profile talent deal and a rom-com titled Soweto Love Story.

During a See What’s Next panel at Mip Africa today, the streamer reiterated a commitment to the nation and talked up a wealth of recently-struck partnerships, with Netflix Middle East and Africa content boss Ben Amadasun saying the investments will “enable us to uncover unique perspectives and diverse stories from South Africa to entertain our more than 238 million members [subscribers] around the world.”

Leading the slate is Heart of the Hunter, the first fruits of Netflix’s three-picture deal with South African Silverton Siege filmmaker Dube, which will launch next year. The feature is described as a twisty spy thriller based on the novel by Deon Meyer. Netflix revealed its Dube tie-up last year at an event in Johannesburg, while it also has...

Netflix unveiled and previewed upcoming original South African series and films at Mip Africa during a panel entitled “See What’s Next on Netflix.” The global streamer also touted multi-title partnerships with local filmmakers.

“We are incredibly excited to continue with our investment in South African storytelling and to expand our relationships with these amazing storytellers,” said Ben Amadasun, Netflix’s vp of content for Middle East and Africa. “These long-term partnerships with local filmmakers have enabled us to uncover unique perspectives and diverse stories from South Africa to entertain our more than 238 million members around the world. This is why we’re committed to investing in South Africa’s creative industry and showcasing the incredible talent the country has to offer.”

Here is a look at the upcoming series:

Miseducation, a new young adult series from Burnt Onion Productions (How to Ruin Christmas) making its debut on Netflix on Sept.

Fasten your seat belts! African streamer Showmax and Canal+ are getting ready to go pedal to the metal.

The streaming company, co-owned by African pay-tv giant MultiChoice Group and Comcast, and the French pay TV giant has released a trailer for the eight-part gangster and extreme sports drama Spinners, which The Hollywood Reporter is revealing exclusively.

The companies’ third co-production, set in South Africa’s Cape Town, became the first African show to take part in CanneSeries’ main competition.

Spinners follows Ethan (Cantona James), a 17-year-old driver working for a gang who is trying to support his younger brother and discovers a possible way out of gang life: spinning, an extreme motorsport that features drivers performing jaw-dropping daredevil stunts. However, a looming gang war jeopardizes his plans.

The cast includes James (Arendsvlei) and Chelsea Thomas (Arendsvlei) in leading roles, along with Elton Landrew (Recipes for Love & Murder); Dillon Windvogel...

Daniel Sharman, Grace Van Dien, Keenan Arrison among cast.

The Exchange has acquired worldwide rights excluding Africa to Kelsey Egan’s sci-fi thriller The Fix and is launching talks here in Cannes.

Writer-director Egan’s second feature takes place after a toxic compound infects earth’s atmosphere and follows a troubled young model who takes an illicit new drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation.

As she hunts for a ‘fix’ to reverse the drug’s effects the model learns that her mutation may be the key to saving the human race.

Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead...

Click here to read the full article.

Rising South African actress Ama Qamata, the star of Netflix’s breakout hit Blood and Water, has signed on to star as a female boxer in Fight Like a Girl, an upcoming feature from writer/director Matthew Leutwyler (The River Why, Uncanny).

Qamata will star alongside Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Godzilla vs. Kong, Starz TV’s Black Sails) as a young Congolese woman forced to work in an illegal mineral mine who manages to escapes her captors and find a new life for herself after joining an all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma.

The film, billed as the first-ever Western narrative feature to shoot entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is inspired by a real-life boxing club that Leutwyler and producing partner Anton Laines have been following for the past two years as part of an upcoming docu-series. Several...

Netflix has found another hit in the Jenna Ortega-led drama series Wednesday.

The streaming service announced Tuesday that the Addams Family series amassed a further 411.29 million hours viewed in its second week.

In just two weeks, the new comedy mystery is now Netflix’s third Most Popular English-language TV series ever with 752.52M hours viewed, behind Stranger Things 4 and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Since its premiere on November 16, nearly 115M households globally have seen the series (752.25M hours viewed divided by 6.8 hours).

Wednesday held the #1 spot on the weekly Top 10 English TV List for the second week in a row with a mega 411.29M hours viewed – smashing its record-breaking first week number of 341.23M hours viewed.

Wednesday has also reached #1 in 89 countries.

Netflix has yet to officially pick up a second season of Wednesday, but these numbers are excellent.

It will likely be around for several years,...

Just two weeks after its debut on Netflix, “Wednesday” is one of the streamer’s most popular series of all time.

With a total of 752.5 hours viewed since it premiered on Nov. 23, the series is already the No. 3 most-watched English-language TV title in Netflix history. Netflix calculates this list based on a project’s performance during its first 28 days of availability, meaning that “Wednesday” still has two more weeks to continue climbing the rankings.

For comparison, the No. 1 position belongs to “Stranger Things” Season 4 with 1.35 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days, and “Monster — Dahmer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” follows with 856.2 million. A closer look reveals that “Wednesday” may well be on track to surpass both of them.

Like “Wednesday,” “Stranger Things” Season 4 made its debut on the Most Popular list at No. 3 in its second week on Netflix — but with 621.8 million hours, which is 130.7 million less than what “Wednesday...

Blood & Water is a South African teen series starring Ama Kamata, Khosi Ngema, Gail Mabalane, Thabang Molaba and Dillon Windvogel. It is written and directed by Nosipho Dumisa, Daryne Joshua and Travis Taute.

Premise

After crossing paths at a party, a Cape Town teen sets out to prove whether a private-school swimming star is her sister who was abducted at birth.

Episode List Fiksation Blood & Water (2020 – )

As another year passes since her sister’s disappearance, Puleng shoulders her parent’s complex grief and escapes for a taste of joy… with a twist.

The Interview

Puleng combines secrecy and strategy as she continues her quest for answers, and a special project leads to a closer bond with Fiks and her classmates.

Propaganda

Fiks faces backlash while campaigning for Head Girl. Meanwhile, Puleng considers a pivotal decision: Share her mission with wade or abandon the search?

Blood & Water (2020 – ) Payback...

The second episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, "Graveyard Rats," has a small but talented cast who truly make the installment stand out. Created by Guillermo del Toro, the Netflix anthology series consists of eight episodes, each inspired by a different short story. "Graveyard Rats" was released on October 25, 2022, along with the first episode, "Lot 36." Unlike their other series releases, Netflix's Cabinet of Curiosities episodes are released daily, two at a time, through October 28.

Based on the story by Henry Kuttner, the Cabinet of Curiosities episode "Graveyard Rats" is set in 1920s Salem, Massachusetts, and follows cemetery caretaker and grave robber Masson. In the episode, he tries to put his hands on the valuables of a wealthy merchant who recently arrived at the morgue where his friend Dooley works. Below is a look at who plays Masson and Dooley as well as a list of the supporting cast of "Graveyard Rats,...

Company includes assets of Breakthrough Entertainment.

In the run-up to Mipcom Dave Conlon of media company Eggplant Collective and executive producer Michael McGuigan have launched Toronto-based Shadow Pine Studios incorporating the assets of Breakthrough Entertainment and its affiliates.

Shadow Pine will consolidate Breakthrough’s content library and production capabilities with Eggplant’s group of companies including Eggplant Picture & Sound and Eggplant Music & Sound.

The move will allow Shadow Pine Studios and Eggplant to jointly leverage new revenue streams and creative partnerships while offering producers access to Ontario tax credits, post-production services, and a distribution network.

Breakthrough staff members Alicja Wicinski...

Filming set to begin on Cantonese-language remake in September.

Hong Kong stars Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan and Adam Pak are to take the lead roles in an Asian remake of Richard Linklater’s 2001 drama Tape, which is set to begin filming next month.

The film will be directed by Bizhan Tong as a co-production between Tong’s Phoenix Waters Productions, Marvion and Agog Films.

The original starred Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard and took place in real time. The remake – also titled Tape – centres on three friends who, following an event at a graduation party that transforms their lives,...

Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan, and Adam Pak lead the cast of “Tape,” a Cantonese-language remake of the Richard Linklater drama film that debuted in 2001. The new film is to be directed by Bizhan Tong with cameras set to roll next month in Hong Kong.

“Tape” tells the story of 3 best friends who, following an event at a graduation party that transforms their lives, reunite 15 years later where a case of blackmail forces them to confront a terrible secret from their past.

The original film starred Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard and played at the Sundance, Toronto and Rotterdam festivals.

In Tong’s remake, Kwan, Lee, and Pak play the contemporary characters while Mason Fung, Summer Chan, and Angus Yeung portray their younger versions.

The script is written by Stephen Belber, Tong, Lee and Bonnie Lo, and is an adaptation of Belber’s own scripts from both the original film and stage play.

Hong Kong actors Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan and Adam Pak have been cast in the Asian remake of Richard Linklater’s Tape, scheduled to start shooting in Hong Kong in September.

Stephen Belber, who wrote both the original film and stage play, has co-written the remake with Bizhan Tong, Selena Lee and Bonnie Lo. Belber is also on board as a producer with Tong and Lee, while Tong directs. The film is a co-production between Hong Kong’s Phoenix Waters Productions and Agog Films and Singapore-based Marvion.

The original film starred Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard in the story of three friends who are reunited 15 years after a life-changing event and forced to confront painful secrets from their past.

Belber said: “I’m excited to be part of a project that Bizhan has pursued with integrity, passion, intelligence and care, which the subject matter obviously requires. Bringing...

Canal+ is teaming with African streamer Showmax for its latest drama from Africa, an action drama about the dangerous South African motor sport spinning. Production on Spinners began in Cape Town on the eight-part series this week, with Gaia director Jaco Bouwer attached.

Shot in English, Kaaps and Afrikaans, it is produced by Joachim Landau and Raphaël Rocher for French indie Empreinte Digitale and co-produced by Locarno, Amiens and Fespaco winner Ramadan Suleman and his full service film and TV production outfit Natives at Large. Canal+-owned Studiocanal has international distribution rights.

Landau co-created the show with Benjamin Hoffman. Director is Bouwer, whose horror Gaia won the Zeiss Cinematography Award last year at SXSW, and Matthew Jankes, Sean Steinberg, Gillian Breslin, Daniel Zimbler, Byron Abrahams and Zoë Laband comprising the writing team.

The motor sport on which the series is based sees cars driven at high speed with drivers performing...

Click here to read the full article.

Netflix on Tuesday unveiled its slate of African originals, presenting a showcase of local-language series, feature films and non-fiction projects produced in Africa that will roll out across the streamer’s global service later this year and in early 2023.

Highlights include The King’s Horseman, the hotly awaited film adaptation of Noble Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka’s acclaimed anti-colonial play Death and the King’s Horseman. Adapted and directed by Half of a Yellow Sun helmer Biyi Bandele, the Yoruba-language drama will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

On the series side, Netflix will premiere its first-ever Afrikaans-language drama, Ludik, on Aug. 26. The six-part actioner stars South African-born Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) in the title role as Daan Ludik. Rob Van Vuuren, Diaan Lawrenson and Zane Meas co-star.

Nigerian actor/director Akin Omotoso will launch The Brave Ones,...

HBO Max and Cartoon Network announced a 2D animated adaptation of “Iyanu: Child of Wonder,” a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series heavily influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The project will be financed and overseen by Black-owned animation studio Lion Forge Animation.

“Iyanu: Child of Wonder” is a superhero tale set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, which draws from Nigerian culture, music and mythology. The series follows Iyanu, a teenage orphan who spends her days studying Yoruba history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll...

Disney will unveil a raft of new animated series productions Wednesday at the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival, and show sneak peeks of the upcoming slate of new original animated shows to air on Disney+ and other Disney-owned platforms in 2023 and beyond.

Highlights include second season greenlights for hit Disney+ series “Monsters at Work” and “Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life,” and seasons three for “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends” and “Mickey Mouse Funhouse.”

Additional episode orders for some of Disney Television Animation’s upcoming series, including “Hamster & Gretel,” “Kiff,” “Hailey’s On It” and “Primos” will also be announced.

“The announcements out of Annecy today further cement Disney as the leader in animation,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “These new series represent the very best from our teams at Disney Television Animation and Disney Junior. They build upon Disney Branded Television’s commitment to work with incredible storytellers,...

Image Source: Netflix

After months of waiting, Netflix has finally confirmed that production for "Blood & Water" season three has begun. On April 6, the streamer's South African Instagram page shared a post announcing that "Mzansi's coolest kids are back!," adding, "#BloodAndWater season 3 is currently in production." The post also included a first-look photo of some of the show's main cast - Ama Qamata (Puleng), Khosi Ngema (Fikile), Dillon Windvogel (Wade), and Thabang Molaba (Kb).

Season two of "Blood & Water" premiered at the end of September and concluded with an explosive finale packed with cliffhangers. From the mystery behind Fikile's father and Puleng's unresolved love interests to a kidnapping storyline that ends with unanswered questions, fans are wondering what direction the South African teen drama-mystery will take in season three. With the introduction of new faces such as Sam (Leroy Siyafa), Pauline (Katishcka Kiara), and Zayd (Alzavia Abrahams), there's sure to be juicy new scandals.

Mirror singer and actor Anson Lo has joined the cast of Bizhan Tong’s upcoming action thriller Chungking Mansions. Billed as Hong Kong’s biggest zombie film ever, the Phoenix Waters Productions pic, in co-production with Amm Global and Salon Films Japan, has also added Hong Kong-Canadian actresses Selena Lee and Jeannie Chan, Korea’s Choi Si-Hun and Hong Kong actor Louis Cheung.

They join previously announced cast members including Japanese action star Rina Takeda and Singapore’s Desmond Tan and Rebecca Lim.

Chungking Mansions tells the story of a disparate group of people from across the globe who must climb the iconic Chungking Mansions building amidst a zombie outbreak in Hong Kong. Centered around an American seeking to rescue his pregnant wife, the action moves between people of all nationalities across the city who are undergoing their own journeys to survive.

Lo, who became the most Googled Hong Kong...

Anson Lo, part of Hong Kong pop sensation Mirror, has joined the cast of “Chungking Mansions,” an ambitious zombie film that is currently in advanced preparation.

Alongside Lo, Hong Kong-Canadian actresses Selena Lee and Jeannie Chan, Korean star Choi Si-Hun, and Hong Kong actor Louis Cheung join the previously announced Japanese action star Rina Takeda and Singaporean actors Desmond Tan and Rebecca Lim.

Davika Hoorne, who previously starred in “Pee Mak,” Thailand’s highest grossing film of all time, will also join. She takes over a role previously assigned to Angel Locsin as the assistant to the American protagonist’s pregnant wife.

Directed by banker turned producer and director Bizhan Tong (“The Escort”), the film tracks a diverse group of people who, following a zombie attack, try to break into Chungking Mansions. The labyrinthine building was made famous in Wong Kar-wai’s “Chungking Express” and is arguably the richest cultural...

Producer Travis Taute always knew that when he'd make his directorial debut, it would be an action movie. Taute's thriller, "Indemnity," takes a grounded approach. With the power of limitations, Taute, his team, and his star, Jarrid Geduld, make their action pack a little more punch with practically, plausibility, and a general lack of CGI. As Taute explained, it wasn't always easy, but the challenge is exciting. 

Prior to making his conspiracy thriller dealing with Ptsd, Taute has been producing films and shows for Gambit Films. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, the production company is behind "Blood & Water" and "Number 37." Recently,...

The post Indemnity Director Travis Taute on Staging Fistfights and Car Crashes with Limitations [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Peter Nadermann’s Nadcon Film and South African genre specialists Gambit Films (“Indemnity”) are teaming up to adapt a trilogy of best-selling crime thrillers, Variety can reveal.

The “Revenge Trilogy” is based on the Cape Town-set novels from South African author Mike Nicol. The books will be adapted for screen by Gambit’s Daryne Joshua and will be produced by Gambit Films and Nadcon Film in cooperation with Zdf Enterprises, which co-owns Nadcon.

The story begins with ex-gun-runners Mace Bishop and Pylon Buso, who made an illicit fortune while part of the struggle against Apartheid but are now at the helm of a private security company, trying to settle into a comfortable life in Cape Town. With their ill-gotten riches stuck in the Cayman Islands, however, the partners find their dreams of a worry-free future in jeopardy.

Instead, they’re plunged into Cape Town’s violent underworld, where a powerful...

As a perennially popular international filming location — its varied landscapes standing in for everywhere from the Sahara to the French Riviera — South Africa has provided the anonymous backdrop for many a slick big-budget action thriller over the years. Rarer are films from the country’s own industry that aspire to equivalent commercial thrills, which lends Cape Town-based writer-director Travis Taute’s debut feature “Indemnity” a certain bracing novelty that counters its more generic qualities. Joining a Ptsd-afflicted firefighter on the run after being framed for the murder of his wife, Taute’s diverting film punches well above its modestly budgeted weight in terms of propulsive, literally incendiary action scenes — but is on less sure footing with a narrative that lurches from lean fugitive drama to overworked conspiracy nightmare.

A far stricter edit could have solved a number of problems in this unevenly paced and, at 124 minutes, significantly overlong film, which...

Find Her Exclusive Poster Reveal & New Stills: "Psychological Thriller Find Her has released it's final poster (attached) and revised synopsis (see below) ahead of the film's 2022 release.

The noir stars Nick McCallum (Burning Kentucky), Richard Gunn (Clemency), Stelio Savante, (Running For Grace), Rebecca Lines (The Falcon And The Winter Soldier), Anais Lilit (The Walking Dead: Red Machete), Randal Gonzalez (Greenland), John James (Axcellerator), Mary Drew Ahrens, John Daniel Gates and G. Andrew Ahrens who also serves as producer.

Filmed in Louisiana and Florida, Find Her was directed by Nick McCallum from his own script with Emmy award winning director of photography, Evan Zissimopulos providing the cinematography.

In the film, a mysterious ex-cop named Isaiah Slade arrives in a small town searching for answers to a murdered ranch owner and his still missing daughter. It slowly becomes clear that not only are there multiple suspects, but that Slade himself has his...

Check out the action chops in this trailer for Travis Taute's action thriller Indemnity! With just over a week away from the Fantasia Film Festival we get our first taste of one of the films that will get a coveted in-person screening.    This isn't Taute's first rodeo at Fantasia. He was the co-writer of the very, very good thriller, Number 37. He is also the writer and director of the well received Netflix drama, Blood & Water.   Check out the trailer below and make note, it's mentioned in the announcement below that Taute's lead actor, Jarrid Geduld went method and did stunt training for three months so he could do all his own stunts in the film. What's good for Tom...    ...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the first wave of programming for its upcoming 25th edition, set again to take place as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada. The festival will run from August 5 – 25, 2021 and will include scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops, with films once again hosted on the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. As the summer approaches, Fantasia organizers will be following advice from local health authorities in Montreal with respect to the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events as well. In celebration of the key role that Japan’s culture has played across Fantasia’s history, the festival’s 25th edition will be featuring an enhanced focus on Japanese cinema.

Following the earlier news of the festival’s opening film, the world premiere of Julien Knafo’s Quebec-set zomcom Brain Freeze starring Roy Dupuis and Iani Bédard,...

One of my favorite festivals is back with a virtual event taking place this August! The Fantasia International Film Festival has announced its first wave of programming, which includes a diverse slate of features and a special focus on Japanese cinema:

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 // Montreal, Quebec -- The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the first wave of programming for its upcoming 25th edition, set again to take place as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada. The festival will run from August 5 - 25, 2021 and will include scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops, with films once again hosted on the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. As the summer approaches, Fantasia organizers will be following advice from local health authorities in Montreal with respect to the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events as well. In celebration of the key role that Japan...

No studio or production company has been immune to the devastating financial effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, and that even includes an outfit like Netflix who always appeared to have a bottomless supply of cash. The streaming service have been nothing short of ruthless this year, wielding the axe like Jack Nicholson in The Shining to remove a huge number of original shows from the schedule.

The majority of the titles to bite the dust have been canned after just one season, which includes but is in no way limited to, I Am Not Okay With This, The Society, Away, Teenage Bounty Hunters, The Big Show Show, V Wars and October Faction. Altered Carbon and The Order, meanwhile, managed to get two runs under their respective belts, while the acclaimed Glow already had one episode of season 4 shot and in the can before the massively popular drama was also kicked to the curb.

ITV orders detective series; WarnerMedia, Blue Ant Media and Rogo Productions strengthen teams; Comedy Central orders Rhod Gilbert show; “Frankenstein” adaptation in the works; and Netflix looks for African writers.

U.K. broadcaster ITV has commissioned four-part crime drama “The Long Call” from ITV Studios label Silverprint Pictures.

The drama is inspired by the best-selling novel from award-winning writer Ann Cleeves, creator of series “Vera” and “Shetland.” “Des” and “Baptiste” screenwriter Kelly Jones will write all four episodes in her first solo series. The narrative is led by flawed protagonist, Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, who has returned to live in a small community in North Devon with his husband, Jonathan. It’s a place Matthew walked away from 20 years ago after being rejected by his family. Now he’s back to take charge of his first major murder.

ITV’s head of drama, Polly Hill, commissioned the series. Silverprint Pictures...

The episodic content lab is for writers in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

Netflix is partnering with African filmmaking organisation Realness Institute on a development lab for writers of series content.

The Episodic Content Development Lab is for writers in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria and will open for submissions on November 30. It is open to writers with film and TV experience from the fictional and/or factual sectors, in any language.

Six writers will be selected from the submissions to work on projects that will be developed and commissioned by Netflix. The selected writers will be paid a stipend...

Bela Bajaria has been named global head of television at Netflix as vice president of original content Cindy Holland exits the company after an 18-year tenure.

The move comes as part of an effort to streamline the company’s original content divisions by co-ceo Ted Sarandos. Previously, Holland had overseen all English-language originals for Netflix, while Bajaria was responsible for local-language content for Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, India, Asia and Latin America.

“Since becoming co-ceo, I’ve wanted to simplify the way our content teams operate – with one global film team led by Scott Stuber and one for TV, which will now be led by Bela Bajaria,” Sarandos said in a statement. “Since joining Netflix in 2016, Bela has demonstrated her versatility and creativity – building out our unscripted team and helping to take our local language slate, which is increasingly important for our members, to the next level. I...

American streaming service Netflix has had its share of popular and acclaimed original series in the English language. But to diversify its operations all over the world, it’s increasingly investing in producing and distributing shows in other languages too.

Related: Blood & Water And 9 Other International Shows On Netflix To Check Out Now

Some like Dark and Money Heist has turned into global phenomena while others like Kingdom and Sacred Games are contributing a lot to their own country’s pop cultures, while others unfairly fall under the radar for one reason or another. Here are some of the highest-rated ones, as per their rankings on IMDb.

Netflix released their South African original series Blood & Water in May of 2020 and had everyone talking. The show follows a South African high school student named Puleng who believes that she may have solved the mystery of her sister's disappearance. Puleng has struggled her entire life with living in the shadow of her older sister, Phumelele, who was kidnapped at birth. Her parents struggled to move past this and as the show opens, new revelations about her disappearance re-open these old wounds as Puleng sets out to find out if she can track down her long lost sister.

Related: 10 Most Surprising Original Dramas From Netflix

The first season of Blood & Water only had six episodes and ended on a major cliffhanger, leaving many people to wonder about the future of Puleng, Fikile, and the other characters in the series. Unfortunately, viewers will have to wait until the release...

Netflix's South African drama, Blood & Water, premiered on May 20 and fans are already eager for the next chapter. Directed by Nosipho Dumisa, the series follows 16-year-old Puleng Khulamo (Ama Qamata) as she juggles family drama, a love triangle, and the dangers of prep school politics for one reason: she's convinced that popular girl Fikile Bhele (Khosi Ngema) is actually her long-lost sister who was abducted at birth 17 years ago. The teen seemingly solves the case in the show's season one finale, but that still leaves a ton of questions left unanswered, which means Netflix has more than enough reason to renew the series for a second season - and they have! And if you think you're excited about the renewal, just look at how excited the cast members were when Dumisa broke the news to them:

No more further questions. Season 2 Is On Thee Way! #BloodAndWater pic.twitter.

Netflix has signed a multi-title deal with prolific Nigerian producer Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife to create two original series. Multiple branded films and a series have also been licensed to the streaming service.

Among the highlights will be a film adaptation of “Death and the King’s Horseman,” a play by Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, and a series based on Lola Shoneyin’s best-selling debut novel, “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.” One of the unnamed projects will premiere on the platform in 2020. Further details about the rest of the EbonyLife slate will be revealed at a later date.

Since becoming a household name in the 2000s with her daytime talk show “Moments With Mo,” Abudu has risen to become one of the most trusted names in Nigerian entertainment. After launching EbonyLife as an upscale TV network in 2012, she moved into feature film production with slickly produced titles like “The Wedding Party,...