Canal+'s StudioCanal will start filming on The Road Home in June in Cape Town with Cynthia Erivo as Miriam Makeba, Thabo Rametsi as Hugh Masekela and Guy Pearce as Archbishop Trevor Huddleston.
Bill Condon is the director, with the screenplay by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda and The Road Home's budget is roughly R300 million.
"This is a powerful story about art intersecting with activism, a friction that’s only become more complex with time. I'm honoured to be a part of this extraordinary team," says Bill Condon.
Michael Bronner was approached to write the screenplay by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and he did research for the script as well as in-depth interviews with Paul Simon.
StudioCanal will distribute The Road Home in South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand.
"We are honoured to bring this South African story to the screen: a story of friendship and resistance, carried by the extraordinary journeys of Hugh Masekela and Trevor Huddleston, Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon,' says Anna Marsh, CEO of StudioCanal and chief content officer of Canal+.
"Our constant goal is to bring local stories to a global audience – rooted in South Africa’s identity, this story speaks far beyond its borders, showing how music can become a force for identity and change. That is also why it was essential to tell this story from within South Africa, working closely with the voices and talent that shaped it.”
Nomsa Philiso, the director of content for general entertainment, English and Portuguese-speaking at Canal+ Africa, says "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 such as The Road Home."
"Through StudioCanal, we are further enhancing our
ability to invest in premium content and take high‑quality African stories to
global audiences, showcasing the best of the continent on the world stage."
The Road Home is set against the backdrop of Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland and principal photography starts in Cape Town in June.
Following exile from his
native South Africa, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Thabo Rametsi) is pulled between two
worlds when the anti-Apartheid movement, led by his mentor Archbishop Trevor
Huddleston (Guy Pearce), launches a boycott against Paul Simon, over his
groundbreaking township music-inspired album Graceland, accusing Simon of
violating the United Nation’s Cultural Boycott.
Splitting from his mentor, Hugh Masekela – who sees their music as a powerful weapon in the struggle – joins
forces with Simon and Hugh’s lifelong collaborator, Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Cynthia Erivo), to create the Graceland band - a
super group designed to bring South Africa’s voice to the world.
The veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal, who was instrumental in supporting Paul Simon during the making of the Graceland album, will serve as co-producer on the project with Sony Music also involved.
Hilton Rosenthal was also involved in script development and secured music rights to Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba's work.
The Road Home will include new recordings from Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba’s catalogues of songs for the film’s soundtrack.
The Road Home will be produced by Laura Bickford for Laura Bickford Productions, Bronner for Smashing Dandelions, Greg Yolen for 1000 Eyes, as well as Anant Singh of VideoVision Entertainment.
"Hugh Masekela, Trevor Huddleston and Miriam Makeba were remarkable people," says Anant Singh.
"Hugh’s journey with Archbishop Huddleston was legendary, and it is thrilling to bring The Road Home to the big screen together with StudioCanal. We also wish to congratulate Canal+ on The Road Home being their first major production since the MultiChoice merger in South Africa."
