Akin Omotoso, known for directing the Disney Plus movie about Giannis Antetokounmpo called Rise, is set to direct a new film titled “The Plot to Save South Africa.” This film is based on a book by Justice Malala that tells the thrilling story of a 1990s plot by white supremacists that nearly led South Africa into a civil war.
The movie will be produced by Ochre Moving Pictures, a company based in Johannesburg. They had previously made a deal with Netflix to turn several books into movies, but this particular film isn’t part of that Netflix deal. It’s part of a different agreement between Omotoso and Ochre, which also includes a crime drama based on a novel by Nigerian author Femi Osofisan called “Pirates.”
The story of “The Plot to Save South Africa” begins in 1993. It was a critical time in South Africa’s history, just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison and was working with President F.W. de Klerk to end apartheid. However, the assassination of Chris Hani, Mandela’s potential successor, by a white supremacist threatened to derail the peace process and ignite a civil war.
Justice Malala, who was a young journalist at the time, was one of the first reporters at the scene of Hani’s murder. His book captures the intense nine days following the assassination, a time when the country was on edge, fearing the plot might succeed.
Omotoso expressed his excitement about directing the film, highlighting the thrilling nature of Malala’s book and its significance to him and many others who lived through those times in South Africa.
This film project adds to the diverse portfolio of Ochre Moving Pictures, which has recently launched a crime drama set in the 1990s on Netflix and is developing a range of titles for Netflix, Showmax, and local broadcasters. The company is also exploring African romance and royalty themes, planning to adapt novels that showcase modern and contemporary stories set in Africa, aiming to appeal to audiences in America and beyond. Source
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