International filmmakers flock to SA

IEven before Cape Town topped The New York Times 52 Cities to Visit in 2014, South Africa was fast becoming a popular shooting destination for Hollywood and international films. One just has to look at the amount of big blockbusters that have come and gone over the years from Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds Safe House, all the way down to the more Oscar-winning films like Neil Blomkamps District 9. By Siya Ngcobo

2014 has been no different so far, with a slew of films and TV shows already gracing our shores and more to come in the summer.

Heres a few films and TV shows that are shooting and have shot in SA in recent months:

The Giver

Its very hard to believe that three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep graced our shores with an a-list of co-stars when they shot The Giver earlier this year. The cast, including Jeff Bridges, Alexander Saarsgad, Taylor Swift and Katie Holmes, were seen all over Cape Town between December and January. The film is based on the sci-fi novel by Lois Lowry and tells the story set in the distant future about a society in which the entire range of human emotion has been eradicated by removing any trace of history. Only one individual in the society - called the Giver - is tasked with remembering the past in case it becomes necessary to make use of it and has to pass this on to a newly selected Receiver. It is due to open at cinemas later this year.

Black Sails

Michael Bays pirate series, Black Sails, has left a very strong impression on Cape Town with their large ships built inside Cape Town Film Studios along the N2 highway. Set in 1720, the series was pitched by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine for Starz as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate novel Treasure Island and follows the adventures of Captain Flint. South Africa doubles as the Bahamas in the series, which has also featured many local actors alongside Jessica Parker, Zach McGowan and Luke Arnold. It debuted in January 2014 and is still shooting in Cape Town. McGowan was even spotted at the Waterfront recently posing with fans.

Eye in the Sky

Our very own Oscar winning director Gavin Hood is also bringing his latest film, Eye in The Sky, reportedly starring Colin Firth, to South Africa. Screen reported that Firth will star in the thriller set in the morally murky world of military drones. Guy Hibbert, the writer of Channel 4 series Complicit, has penned the screenplay for Eye in the Sky, which will seek funding at the upcoming Cannes film festival. Hibberts script follows a military intelligence officer charged with remotely commanding a top-secret drone operation to capture a group of terrorists from their safe-house in Nairobi. The film is set to begin shooting in August 2014.

Chappie

Who could forget when Chappie was shooting in Johannesburg late last year? The Neil Blomkamp production starring big names like Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver made some tabloid noise due Die Antwoords reported behaviour on set. The zef duos on set antics werent enough to detract from filming the sci-fi thriller, which also stars Sharlto Copley. Chappie is about a robot who is stolen by gangsters, and will apparently be based on Blomkamps 2003 short Tetra Vaal. District 9s Copley will voice Chappie, while Die Antwoord rappers Ninja and Yo-Landi play the gangsters.

The Avengers

This year also saw one of the biggest Marvel Studios blockbusters, The Avengers, grace South African shores. Filming of parts of the latest blockbuster, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, took place in Johannesburg around Albertina Sisulu and Rissik Street for four days in February. The Joss Whedon-directed sequel to the 2012 ultra-blockbuster, also shot in the UK, where the bulk of the production took place. Whedon previously stated that the sequel will take a more international approach, which would most likely explain the additions of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who are originally from Eastern Europe. There is also speculation that the film could also add the character of Black Panther, an African Avenger played by 12 Years A Slave star Chiwetel Ejifor.

Prisoner of War

The latest film to be shot in South Africa is Prisoner of War. Chronicle star Alex Russell is in negotiations to star alongside Berenice Marlohe (Skyfall) in Voltage Pictures sci-fi thriller. Voltage will launch sales at Cannes this week and music video and TV director Joe Miale will direct the project. The film tells a story of humankinds last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion that's set in the war-ravaged African countryside. Russell will portray an American soldier and Marlohe will play a French foreign aid worker who team up to survive the alien onslaught. The film will begin production in September on location in South Africa.

These are just a few of the confirmed projects that have taken advantage of South Africas competitive rates and Department of Trade and Industry rebates, which have pushed the local film development to new heights in the past few years.

http://entertainment.iafrica.com

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/international-filmmaker...
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