Cynthia Erivo, Thabo Rametsi & Guy Pearce to star in biopic ‘The Road Home’

STUDIOCANAL, the in-house studio of CANAL+, in partnership with Flora Films, proudly announces the production of the feature film The Road Home. The film brings a uniquely South African story with global resonance, set against the backdrop of Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland. Principal photography starts in Cape Town in June.

The film brings together an exceptional cast led by celebrated South African actor Thabo Rametsi as legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela. Three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo takes on the role of iconic vocalist Miriam Makeba, affectionately known as “Mama Africa,” while Oscar nominee Guy Pearce portrays Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Together, this powerful ensemble helps bring to life the people and moments that shaped one of South Africa’s most defining cultural eras.

The story behind The Road Home

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 United Nation’s Cultural Boycott.

Splitting from his mentor, Masekela – who sees their music as a powerful weapon in the struggle – joins forces with Simon and Hugh’s lifelong collaborator, South African powerhouse vocalist Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Erivo), to create the Graceland band – a super group designed to bring South Africa’s voice to the world, building to a powerful,
celebratory testament to resilience, and the triumph of the human spirit.

How the screenplay for The Road Home came to life

The screenplay was developed through deep research ensuring a truly authentic telling, in particular drawing on the knowledge and resources of the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation, enriched by contributions from acclaimed South African novelist Zakes Mda. Alongside the invaluable insights shared with Michael Bronner during the writing process by several Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation members, Bronner did extensive research for the script – including in-depth interviews with Paul Simon.

The creative force behind The Road Home

CANAL+, through its film and television production and distribution arm STUDIOCANAL, is largely financing The Road Home, demonstrating its commitment to premium international storytelling in South Africa. The film will be shot on location in Cape Town, further reinforcing the country’s status as a world-class film production destination. STUDIOCANAL has teamed up with Flora Films, with Oscar winner Bill Condon set to direct.

The production of The Road Home will employ over 300 South African crew members, with only a small number of specialist roles filled internationally, alongside 68 local cast members, including celebrated South African actor Thabo Rametsi, an estimated 3,500 extras, and globally recognised local musicians.

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL and Chief Content Officer of CANAL+:

“South Africa remains one of the best places in the world to produce 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 due to the outstanding talent – both on and off the screen –
which exists within South Africa’s creative ecosystem. This film exemplifies CANAL+’s
continued commitment to investing in outstanding local content and bring 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 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”.

About CANAL+

CANAL+ is a global media and entertainment company with leading positions in Europe and Africa. Over 40 million subscribers enjoy the CANAL+ entertainment platform, which brings together the best local and global films, live sport, TV series and much more. CANAL+ operates in over 70 countries and has approximately 15,000 employees.
 
CANAL+ operates across the entire audio-visual value chain, including production, broadcast, 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 major international video platform powered by cutting-edge proprietary technology for video delivery, advertising, and monetisation; CANAL+ Distribution, a production and distribution company specialising in creating and distributing diverse content and channels; telecommunication services, through GVA in Africa and CANAL+ Telecom in the French overseas jurisdictions and territories.
 
CANAL+ also has minority stakes in Viaplay (Scandinavia’s leading entertainment provider), Viu (a leading OTT provider in Southeast Asia), and UGC, a leading French cinema group.
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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 in offices in the United States and China. STUDIOCANAL finances, produces, and distributes 80 films per year.

It owns one of the most prestigious catalogues in the world and the largest catalogue of European titles, boasting more than 9 400 titles from 60 countries. With a catalogue spanning 100 years of film history, STUDIOCANAL has invested close to 25 million euros into the 4K restoration of nearly 1 000 classic feature films over the past 7 years.

STUDIOCANAL also produces over 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 in-house by STUDIOCANAL 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; Bambú Producciones and Te Espero en Marte in Spain; Lailaps Films and STUDIOCANAL Series in Germany; Opus TV in Poland; Sam Productions in Denmark; Dingie in Belgium; and The Picture Company in the United States.
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