Donovan Marsh to helm Zoo City

Following a clutch of rave reviews for his action film iNumber Number at the Toronto International Film Festival, South African director, Donovan Marsh has made history with the first-ever South African film to be picked up for a Hollywood remake in bidding war that was awarded to Universal Pictures.

With offers pouring in for Marsh, it is Zoo City, the motion picture adaptation of author Lauren Beukes' award-winning Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel, that the filmmaker has chosen to helm next. Marsh who is also writing the screenplay will be working alongside Beukes, who garnered the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke award, British Science Fiction's most prestigious award. Beukes' book attracted universal attention, and has been touted as the literary version of District 9 , and having her latest novel, The Shining Girls, optioned by Leonardo diCaprio - makes her one of the hottest writing talents around.

Marsh's motion picture credits (as writer and director) include Spud, (an adaptation of John van der Ruit's bestselling novels) starring John Cleese, and which out grossed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, opening on the same weekend on the South African circuit. Marsh has already forged a reputation back home as one of a filmmaker to watch.

Producer, Helena Spring, is thrilled with the powerful team she has attached to the project. Spring, who produced Marsh's first film, Dollars and White Pipes, says: I consider myself lucky to have secured Donovan just as he is maturing into his most exciting work. With development nearing completion Spring says she is delighted by The significant interest in the project by key Hollywood distributors which is undoubtedly due to the phenomenal reception of iNumber Number from critics at T.I.F.F. This has elevated Donovan's profile to center stage in the global film community - validated by Hollywood's rapid interest in his work - and we hope that this heat will fast-forward the process of financing and packaging the project.

Marsh enthused about this attachment to the project and working with Lauren Beukes, says: I am extremely excited to be part of the team realizing this exciting and original novel. Zoo City is smart, cool and sassy with highly unusual and colourful characters in a world unlike anything you have ever seen before. I am relishing the creative challenge of bringing that to the big screen.

At TIFF, Marshall's work was hailed as essential viewing', with critical comments including:

. this is art house, grindhouse, Tarantino, and Scorsese set in a world rarely seen in Western cinema . director Donovan Marsh is innovating the pants off his big-budget Hollywood counterparts. (Copernicus, Ain't It Cool).

.. it looks and feels like a big budget blockbuster. It's an incredibly tense, exceptionally shot, and perfectly acted heist film, and goes above and beyond anything Hollywood has been offering. (William Brownridge, Toronto Film Scene)

My immediate reaction was to call this the South African Reservoir Dogs and I dont make the comparison lightly. A bristling action movie with stunning performances. (Jason Gorber, Twitch Film)

It brings Reservoir Dogs To South Africa . a calling card for the world to take notice. (Kurt Halfyard, Twitch Film)

.beautiful cinematography, and incredible tension .one of the best action films around. An independent, low budget film from South Africa that makes Hollywood blockbusters look slow and boring. (The Film Reel)

.. a compelling mix of genres that does not fail to entertain .. certainly worthy of wide distribution in North America. (Karen Makedon, T-Mak World)

In a vigorous bidding war among international producers, Helena Spring was awarded the motion picture adaptation rights of Beukes critical and commercial success. Recognised as one of South Africa's accomplished producers, Spring, who has a string of international productions to her name, and worked with the major filmmakers including Academy Award winning Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), and Paul Greengrass (Jason Bourne franchise) is up to the task. I had the best feeling from Helena who was committed to making this picture in South Africa and doing it right. It came down to a joint decision between me, my agent, my publisher Angry Robot, who hold the film rights, and their agent as to who was best positioned to make this happen in the best possible way. says Beukes.

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