The Box: Two Crew Members Die and Extras Treated As Slave Labor On African Series ‘Shaka Ilembe’
Shaka Ilembe
Africa: Two crew members, including a make-up artist, working on the second season of MultiChoice and M-Net’s historical drama series Shaka Ilembe have died. The names and cause of death of the deceased crew members remain unknown. Shaka Ilembe, a Bomb Productions series, is a precolonial reinterpretation of the Shaka Zulu legend. It will run for three seasons on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) TV channel and MultiChoice's Showmax video streaming service. Filming for the second season has recently started. There have been rumors stating the deaths were caused by food poisoning on set. Portia Hlongwane, Mzansi Magic spokesperson, addressed these allegations.
"Mzansi Magic can confirm that there was no food poisoning on the set of Shaka Ilembe. The make-up artist in question was employed on the set for only one-and-a-half days. On her second day, she reported feeling weak with flu-like symptoms,” said Hlongwane. "She was promptly sent to see the medic and her next of kin was contacted to collect her. Regrettably, her condition worsened, and she passed away 3 days later at home. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to her family and friends during this difficult time."
Shaka Ilembe is facing further controversy as its extras (and potential extras) have recently come out about to expose Bomb Productions for the “threats made against their lives if they dare speak out about their horrifying experience” on and off set. The South African Screen Federation (Sasfed) demanded a full investigation of Shaka Ilembe’s second season. There were multiple allegations of background performers being treated like “slave labor” by casting agencies and Bomb Productions employees. Bomb Productions employed over 8,000 people for the show's first season, which is set to increase for the second season, featuring bigger battle scenes than the first. The base camp of the show has allegedly been surrounded for weeks by tent camps filled with people living in “squalor” hoping to land roles as extras. These hopeful background performers bussed to the set at their own cost from KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and have been paying “rent.” Some manage to appear in scenes, while others wait hopefully as they struggle to find food and other basic necessities. Lerato Taba, the national coordinator of Sasfed, says extras on the series "may have been exposed to discriminatory conduct by certain casting agencies.” MultiChoice and M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel have only issued one statement saying that the company has been made aware of the unauthorized camps established by casting agencies and that they are “not sanctioned by Multichoice or any official partners associated with the series.” The South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) says it continues to get calls and messages from people who say they were exploited and received "several verified reports that hundreds of background extras brought to Johannesburg from KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga to work on Shaka Ilembe are being forced to pay their agent rent and have only had a few days' work in three weeks." SAGA is in communication with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. The extras are now sent back to KwaZulu-Natal “with no money and more out of pocket than they were before.”
On May 14, director and actor Adrian Alper died from complications with tuberculosis. He was 51. The news was announced by Actor Spaces. After working as an actor, writer, comedian, presenter, and voice-over artist, Adrian Alper moved into directing. He studied at the United World College of the Atlantic from 1989 until 1991. He performed on stage in Wales, then returned to South Africa where he continued to appear in plays. Soon, he transitioned to television and film. On TV, Adrian Alper had roles in series ranging from Gaz'lam and 7de Laan, to Generations, Isidingo, Isithembiso, Rhythm City, and more. In film he appeared in Seconds, Susanna van Biljon, and Droomman.
Former Big Brother Mzansi contestant Eulanda “Yolanda” Monyai, known for being removed from the show for saying she wants to "f*cking molest" one contestant and "rape" another, is now the new Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) brand ambassador. M-Net says Mzansi Magic is "proud" to have Eulanda "Yolanda" Monyai as a Mzansi Magic brand ambassador. M-Net is receiving backlash for this decision, especially after her behavior on Big Brother Mzansi. Many are raising questions as to why Mzansi Magic is “resorting to bottom-barrel reality stars with tarnished reputations” to be their channel representatives. Christinah Mazibuko, head of marketing and publicity for Mzansi Magic, says M-Net is "extremely proud" to have the group of people, including Yolanda, represent Mzansi Magic. In March, after evicting Yolanda, MultiChoice said it takes threats and threatening remarks around gender-based violence (GBV) very seriously. However, this message has been contradicted as Yolanda is being paid to be the face of this company. In March on television the 32-year-old sales consultant and model from Limpopo said she was ready to sexually assault another contestant, saying "I want to f*cking molest her.” She also said "I am going to rape Ghost. I'm going to force myself into his bed," in reference to Sabelo "Papa Ghost Ncube, who is TV presenter Andle Ncube's brother.
Anushka Sen - Prodip Guha
Asia: Anushka Sen, one of India’s most popular young actors, is now making an impact in Korea. Sen is a “huge fan” of Hallyu [Korean wave] in general and K-pop and K-drama in particular. Sen rates highly BTS, Blackpink, and NewJeans on the music front. On the series front, Sen is an aficionado of actor Lee Min-ho, with Heirs, Legend of the Blue Sea, and The King: Eternal Monarch among her favorites. Sen said in an interview that, during Covid-19, K-dramas made her feel “wholesome.” At that time, she reportedly would be “manifesting” that she would be able to collaborate with Korea in some way to make content. She says there are a lot of similarities between Indian cinema and Korean cinema – especially the way the two show romance and family. Sen’s manifestation came true when she received an email from Korea-based Asia Lab, a company that combines content production, entertainment, and travel through collaborations with influential Asian stars from around the world with a mission to create “One Asia.” She signed a contract with the company and the first piece of content that emerged was the YouTube vlog God of Travel (2022), which documented her travels across Korea and her firsthand encounters with Korean culture. Sen is also one of the stars in the Asia Lab film Asia, directed by Lee Jung-sub. The actor is currently basking in the success of the Prime Video series “Dil Dosti Dilemma” which was released in April.
Santri Pilihan Bunda, a series oscillating between conservative and progressive views, has attracted the attention of several generations of Indonesian viewers. The show, based on a Wattpad story by Salsyabila Falensia Agustian, shows the society and its current issues from the perspective of both younger and older Indonesians and justifies why both parties feel the way they do. Santri Pilihan Bunda tells the story of Aliza (played by Naura Ayu), a progressive college student from a conservative family who dreams of continuing her studies abroad. Due to a misunderstanding with her mother, Aliza is forced to enter into a ta’aruf (Islamic courtship via an arranged marriage) with an Islamic boarding school student, Kinaan (played by Fadi Alaydrus), chosen by her mother. Santri Pilihan Bunda also stars Teuku Rassya, Sarah Sechan, Irgi Achmad Fachrezi, Alika Jantinia and Ika Dihardjo. It has racked up more than 25 million plays on the platform. The show is produced by Screenplay Films and directed by Angling Sagaran. Debuting in mid-March and running through April, the release came during the Islamic holy month.
“It is pretty progressive in the beginning and eventually we weave in some of the more conservative parts, but without being too heavily preachy. We’re not going against any values, but we want to put values into perspective, allowing the audience to question and think about the relevance of these to their lives,” says Anthony Buncio, producer of Santri Pilihan Bunda and Senior Vice-President of Streaming at Screenplay Films.
NP Singh, the well-respected head of Sony’s entertainment businesses in India, is stepping down from his position. The announcement was made on May 24. He pointed to age and personal reasons as motivation for his decision. His career has spanned 44 years, and he now wants to focus on “social change.” He says that his commitment to SPNI remains strong, and he is dedicated to ensuring the company’s legacy of success continues and grows under the new leadership. The move comes just a few months after the collapse of Sony’s previously amicable deal to merge its Indian film, TV, and streaming businesses with those of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL). Had the deal gone through, it would have led to the establishment of a large, content-rich new player in the TV and streaming space that may have been able to compete strongly with the emerging colossus of Muhesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and its Viacom18-JioCinema nexus. The merger deal had been in negotiations for more than two years. It officially started in December 2021, and gained necessary regulatory approvals along the way, but ended acrimoniously in Jan. 2024 when Sony walked away. Sony said at the time that certain conditions had not been met. Both parties are now seeking financial recompense from the other.
Lorenza Izzo - Phillip Faraone / Stringer
Latin America: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is adapting the hit ‘90s sitcom Mad About You in Mexico. Production kicks off in June of Enloqueciendo Contigo with a notable cast led by Regina Blandón and Memo Villegas. The upcoming adaptation follows other local versions made in Chile, Argentina, the U.K., and China. The original Mad About You aired on NBC from 1992 to 1999, collecting a multitude of awards, including four Golden Globes and at least a dozen Primetime Emmys. Directed by Magaby García and Salvador Suárez, Enloqueciendo Contigo follows Jimena and Pablo, a couple with contrasting backgrounds and personalities, in their transition from whirlwind romance to marriage.
LB Entertainment, behind Sintonía, Netflix’s biggest Brazilian hit, has signed a first-look deal with Universo Online (UOL), the biggest news website in Brazil which had 99 million unique users in March 2024. The Brazilian strategic partnership will expand UOL’s brand of storytelling to all forms of filmed entertainment. UOL has a 78% Internet reach, only bettered by Google and Facebook, according to company estimates. It is renowned for the depth, rigor, and time spent on its investigative journalism. UOL has a 78% Internet reach, only bettered by Google and Facebook, according to company estimates. It is renowned for the depth, rigor, and time spent on its investigative journalism. Headed by Felipe Braga and Rita Moraes, LB Entertainment (formerly Los Bragas) created and produced the pioneering Netflix Brazilian sitcom Samantha (2018) and co-created with KondZilla Sintonia, Netflix’s biggest Brazilian hit which has now run to five seasons. The UOL-LB Entertainment alliance comes fast on the heels of LB Ent. (formerly Los Bragas) launching this January Facto8, a brand new arm for documentary/factual production. UOL pioneered digital video content production in Brazil in 1998, including news shows and documentaries. The partnership also builds on the soaring popularity of true crime and doc series in Brazil.
Lorenza Izzo (Hacks) has landed the female lead role in Prime Video’s El Gato opposite Diego Boneta. The series, based on the comic book series El Gato Negro by Richard Dominguez, was ordered to series in February. El Gato follows Frank Guerrero (Boneta), who returns home to Mexico after the death of his father and finds himself neck-deep in a nest of vipers – his estranged family – who are vying for control of his father’s business empire. But Frank’s grief is interrupted when he learns his only inheritance, a seemingly worthless parcel of land on the border, sits atop the lair of a famous costumed vigilante—his father, “El Gato.” Izzo will play Rosa, an outsider to the world of wealth she has married into, and the first to recognize the sharks circling her family. Eric Carrasco (Foundation, Supergirl) created the series and will co-showrun with Turi Meyer and Alfredo Septién (Stargirl, Smallville).
