Kenya and Sou Africa bid to win Brad Pitt s conservation film

News on the movie Africa is that Brad Pitt is currently negotiating to play Richard Leakey on the movie that is based on Leakeys efforts to stop ivory poaching in the 1980s. It is scheduled for release next year. By John Kariuki

The probability is enticing in that his wife Angelina Jolie is the film director and the two have worked together in the past, notably on the Mr & Mrs Smith and are well acquainted working together.

While it is not clear yet where the movie will be shot, Kenya and South Africa and five other countries are in contention for the hosting of what is likely to be the biggest conservation film ever.

The film offers huge country promotion prospects for the two countries far beyond the box office and certainly South Africans are not taking chances.

In South Africa, Brad Pitt is the cover of that countrys February edition of GQ magazine and seems part of the strategy to exploit the benefits of this awesome project even before it starts.

So far, there has been no indications of Kenyas game plan but is hoped there will be initiatives to exploit the benefits of the film even if it does not shoot here.

This should be an opportunity to redress past failings in utilising the full benefits of films shot in the country beyond the immediate revenues.

Even at this point, the decision to make the movie has ushered Kenya into the limelight of the potential tourism high yield market but only if it can use the film (wherever it is shot) to attract attention in the international leisure market.

This is based on the view that both Brad Pitt and Jolie are popular in the fashion industry and attract good coverage even on regular basis.

http://allafrica.com

Documentaries

South Africa

News

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/kenya-and-south-africa-bi...
	See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines