3 weeks ago
Johnny Flynn (Beast, Ripley) is joining Bill Condon’s The Road Home opposite Cynthia Erivo, Guy Pearce and South African multihyphenate Thabo Rametsi (Silverton Siege).
Having opened for Paul Simon (Graceland) successful 2018 pinch his set ‘Johnny Flynn and The Sussex Wit’, Flynn comes afloat circle and joins nan formed arsenic Paul himself.
In nan Michael Bronner-scripted feature, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Rametsi) is exiled from autochthonal South Africa and pulled betwixt 2 worlds erstwhile nan Anti-Apartheid Movement, led by his mentor fierce anti-apartheid advocator Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Pearce), launches a boycott against Hugh’s friend Paul Simon (Flynn), complete his township music-inspired medium “Graceland”, accusing Simon of violating nan United Nations’ Cultural Boycott.
Splitting from his mentor, Masekela, who sees euphony arsenic a powerful limb successful nan struggle, joins forces pinch chap exile and lifelong collaborator, powerhouse vocalist Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Erivo), to create nan Graceland set – a ace group designed to bring South Africa’s sound to nan world.
Flynn says, “For me, location are very fewer stories that could travel person to location than this. I was calved successful Johannesburg and moved to London successful 1985 – conscionable earlier nan medium Graceland was released. The euphony of South Africa – and particularly that of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba IS nan sound of my childhood. And Graceland was nan astir played cassette successful our car increasing up. My parents were supporters of nan anti-apartheid activity and various family members were persecuted for being truthful also. It’s specified an honour to beryllium invited to show this communicative pinch artists that I respect truthful much. It’s nan communicative of dream and nan powerfulness of music.”
Pic’s communicative is by Bronner and Zakes Mda. Bronner is besides producing. His narration pinch South Africa began successful 2000 while moving connected a Peabody Award-winning documentary for CBS’ 60 Minutes. He was primitively approached to constitute nan screenplay by nan Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation.
Pic is produced by Oscar nominated shaper Laura Bickford (Traffic, Che Part 1 and Part 2, Arbitrage) for Laura Bickford Productions, Bronner for Smashing Dandelions, Greg Yolen (Kiss of nan Spider Woman, The Good Liar) for 1000 Eyes, and Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Sarafina!), successful relation pinch executive producers Fiona Druckenmiller and Rob Bath.
Serving arsenic EPs are 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, pinch Sudie Smyth starring Physical Production. Sam Shipp serves arsenic a Creative Executive connected nan film.
Studiocanal is financing nan movie pinch Flora Films and Rob Bath. Studiocanal is releasing nan movie successful South Africa, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand. U.S.-based Palisades Park Pictures, backed by Ashland Hill, and helmed by CEO Tamara Birkemoe, are presently handling world income for nan movie astatine nan Cannes Film Festival.
Flynn is repped by United Agents, CAA and Public Eye.
