John Legend cast as Harry Belafonte in ‘The Road Home’
CANAL+, STUDIOCANAL, Flora Films & South African co-producer Blue Ice today announce that EGOT-winner John Legend is attached to star in THE ROAD HOME. John Legend will play the role of American singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte.
Legend joins multi-award winning South African actor, writer, director and producer Thabo Rametsi (Silverton Siege), Emmy, Grammy, Tony winner and three-time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Harriet), Academy Award Nominee Guy Pearce (The Brutalist, Ink) and South African born actor musician Johnny Flynn (Beast, Ripley). THE ROAD HOME Is directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, Kiss of the Spider Woman) from an original script written by Michael Bronner (The Mauritanian, United 93), from a story by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda. With principal photography underway in South Africa, CANAL+, STUDIOCANAL, Flora Films & Blue Ice this week revealed a first look image of Thabo Rametsi as Hugh Masekela.
Exiled from his native South Africa, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Thabo Rametsi) is pulled between two worlds when the Anti-Apartheid Movement, led by his mentor fierce anti-apartheid advocate Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Guy Pearce), launches a boycott against Hugh’s friend Paul Simon (Johnny Flynn), over his township music-inspired album “Graceland”, accusing Simon of violating the United Nations’ Cultural Boycott.
Splitting from his mentor, Masekela, who sees music as a powerful weapon in the struggle, joins forces with fellow exile and lifelong collaborator, powerhouse vocalist Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Cynthia Erivo), to create the Graceland band – a super group designed to bring South Africa’s voice to the world. Featuring the exhilarating music of Masekela, Makeba, and Paul Simon, this is a story of defiance, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit.
“I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice. He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.” said John Legend
Award winning writer-producer Michael Bronner, whose relationship with South Africa began in 2000 while working on a Peabody Award-winning documentary for CBS’ “60 Minutes”, was originally approached to write the screenplay by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation. Possessing a deep and vibrant institutional knowledge of Masekela’s life and values, the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation provided valuable insights to Bronner during the writing process. Bronner did extensive research for the script – including in-depth interviews with Paul Simon. Additional story elements and research were contributed by renowned South African writer Zakes Mda, who interviewed Masekela extensively. The Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and David Dison are Executive Producers on THE ROAD HOME alongside award-winning South African broadcast journalist Siphiwo Ralo.
Veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal will serve as Co-Producer and will be producing new recordings from Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba’s amazing catalogue of songs for the film’s soundtrack. Rosenthal, who was instrumental in supporting Paul Simon during the making of the Graceland album, has been at the center of script development and has secured music rights to both Paul Simon’s work and that of iconic African artists including the film’s protagonists, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.
THE ROAD HOME is produced by Academy Award-Nominated producer Laura Bickford (Traffic, Che Part 1 and Part 2, Arbitrage), Michael Bronner, Greg Yolen (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Good Liar), and Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Sarafina!), in association with Blue Ice’s producers Tebogo Malia and Adam Freidlander and with executive producers Fiona Druckenmiller and Thabo Rametsi.
Serving as Executive Producers will be STUDIOCANAL executives, Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL and Chief Content Officer of Canal+, EVP of Global Production Ron Halpern and US Chief Creative Officer, Shana Eddy-Grouf, with Sudie Smyth leading Physical Production. Sam Shipp serves as a Creative Executive on the film. STUDIOCANAL is financing the film with Flora Films and Rob Bath. STUDIOCANAL will distribute in South Africa, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand. U.S.-based Palisades Park Pictures, backed by Ashland Hill Media Finance, and helmed by CEO Tamara Birkemoe, is handling international sales (rest of world).
