- The Road Home This is the story of the power of music that changed the world, bringing to life the inspiring story of the creation of the Graceland album and the band.
- The film's budget is approximately ZAR 300 million.
- Production begins in Cape Town on 29 June, employing over 300 local film crew and 3,500 additional actors
- Underlines the commitments made by CANAL+ during the acquisition of MultiChoice Group
StudioCanal, Canal+'s in-house studio (www.STUDIOCanal.com), in partnership with Flora Films, is proud to announce the production of the feature film The Road Home. The film brings a unique South African story to a global audience, and is set against the backdrop of Paul Simon's 1986 album. Graceland. Principal photography begins in June in Cape Town.
Following exile from his native South Africa, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Rametsi) is pulled between two worlds when the anti-apartheid movement, led by his mentor Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Pearce), launches a boycott against Paul Simon over his groundbreaking township music-inspired album “Graceland”, accusing Simon of violating the UN cultural boycott.
Breaking away from their mentor, Masekela – who sees their music as a powerful weapon in the struggle – Simon and Hugh team up with lifelong collaborator, South African powerhouse singer Miriam 'Mama Africa' Makeba (Erivo) to form the Graceland Band – a supergroup designed to bring the sound of South Africa to the world, creating a powerful, celebratory testament to the resilience and triumph of the human spirit.
The screenplay was developed through extensive research, ensuring a truly authentic narrative, drawing particularly on the knowledge and resources of the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation, enriched by the contribution of acclaimed South African novelist Jacques Mda.
As well as the invaluable insights shared with Broner during the writing process by several members of the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation, Broner conducted extensive research for the script – including in-depth interviews with Paul Simon.
production of The Road Home Will employ over 300 South African crew members, with a small number of specialist roles filled internationally, as well as 68 local actors, including renowned South African actor Thabo Rametsi, an estimated 3,500 additional actors and globally recognized local musicians.
CANAL+, through its film and television production and distribution arm STUDIOCANAL, is financing the large-scale The Road HomeThe premium in South Africa demonstrates its commitment to international storytelling. The film will be shot in Cape Town, further strengthening the country's position as a world-class film production destination.
Anna Marsh, CEO of StudioCanal and Chief Content Officer of Canal+: “South Africa remains one of the best places in the world to create compelling, high-quality content. I am delighted that we are able to bring a uniquely South African story to a global audience and shoot it in Cape Town with major local and international stars. The production is only possible because of the outstanding talent – both on and off the screen – that exists in South Africa's creative ecosystem. The film exemplifies CANAL+'s continued commitment to investing in excellent local content and bringing powerful African stories to the screen with authenticity and ambition.
Nomsa Philiso, Director, Content, General Entertainment, English and Portuguese Speaking Africa + Added: “MultiChoice Group has long had a strong and successful local content platform rooted in African storytelling. Our combination with CANAL+ builds on this foundation, strengthening our scale and reach and enabling the production of ambitious films like The Road Home. Through StudioCanal, we are further enhancing our ability to invest in premium content and take high-quality African stories to a global audience, showcasing the best of the continent on the world stage.“.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ company).
Contact:
karima mahoumadi
karima.mhoumadi@canal-plus.com
rafael abensor
raphael.abensour@canal-plus.com
Littlehare (Lee) Motetti
lee.moteetee@canal-plus.com
studio promotion
Suzanne Noble
sujanne.noble@canal-plus.com
About Canal+:
CANAL+ is a global media and entertainment company with a leading position in Europe and Africa. More than 40 million subscribers enjoy the CANAL+ entertainment platform, which brings together the best local and global movies, live sports, TV series and more. CANAL+ operates in more than 70 countries and has approximately 15,000 employees.
CANAL+ operates across the entire audiovisual value chain, including production, broadcasting, distribution and aggregation. In addition to its pay-TV and streaming operations in Europe, Africa and Asia, the combined group includes: MultiChoice Group, Africa's leading entertainment platform; StudioCanal, Europe's leading film and television studio with worldwide production and distribution capabilities; Dailymotion, a leading international video platform powered by cutting-edge proprietary technology for video delivery, advertising and monetization; CANAL+ Distribution, a production and distribution company specializing in creating and distributing diverse content and channels; Telecommunications services through CANAL+ Telecom in GVA and French overseas jurisdictions and territories in Africa.
CANAL+ also has minority stakes in Viaplay (Scandinavia's leading entertainment provider), Viu (a leading OTT provider in Southeast Asia), and UGC, a major French cinema group.
About StudioCanal (a Canal+ company):
StudioCanal is one of Europe's leading film and series studios with worldwide production and distribution capabilities. It operates directly in nine major European markets, including Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, and with offices in the United States and China. StudioCanal finances, produces and distributes 80 films per year.
It owns one of the most prestigious catalogs in the world and the largest catalog of European titles, comprising over 9,400 titles from 60 countries. With a catalog spanning 100 years of film history, StudioCanal has invested approximately 25 million euros over the past 7 years in the 4K restoration of approximately 1,000 classic feature films. StudioCanal also produces more than 15 series each year, including local creations and premium international co-productions, and distributes its scripted productions and CANAL+ Originals globally (2,000 hours of current and library content in distribution).
Projects are produced by StudioCanal in-house or through its worldwide network of production companies, including 2E Bureau and StudioCanal Original in France; Birdie Pictures, Red Production Company, Urban Myth Films, Strong Film & Television and Sunny March TV in the UK; Bamboo Producciones and Te Espero en Marte in Spain; LaLapse Films and StudioCanal Series in Germany; Opus TV in Poland; Sam Productions in Denmark; Dinghy in Belgium; and The Picture Company in the United States.