Actor musician John Legend is set star in Bill Condon‘s South African apartheid era drama The Road Home. Legend will play the role of American singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte.
He will be joining a cast that includes South African actor, writer, director and producer Thabo Rametsi (Silverton Siege), who will play the films real life protagonist Hugh Masekela. Other cast include Cynthia Erivo, Guy Pearce and actor musician Johnny Flynn.
The Road Home tells the story of trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Thabo Rametsi) who finds himself exiled from his native South Africa. Getting pulled between two worlds when the Anti-Apartheid Movement, led by his mentor fierce anti-apartheid advocate Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Guy Pearce), launches a boycott against Hugh’s friend Paul Simon (Johnny Flynn), over his township music-inspired album “Graceland”, accusing Simon of violating the United Nations’ Cultural Boycott.
Splitting from his mentor, Masekela, who sees music as a powerful weapon in the struggle, joins forces with fellow exile and lifelong collaborator, powerhouse vocalist Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Cynthia Erivo), to create the Graceland band – a super group designed to bring South Africa’s voice to the world. Featuring the exhilarating music of Masekela, Makeba, and Paul Simon, this is a story of defiance, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit.
John Legend commented “I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice. He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.”
Award winning writer-producer Michael Bronner, whose relationship with South Africa began in 2000 while working on a Peabody Award-winning documentary for CBS’ “60 Minutes”, was originally approached to write the screenplay by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation.
Possessing a deep and vibrant institutional knowledge of Masekela’s life and values, the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation provided valuable insights to Bronner during the writing process. Bronner did extensive research for the script – including in-depth interviews with Paul Simon.
Additional story elements and research were contributed by renowned South African writer Zakes Mda, who interviewed Masekela extensively. The Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and David Dison are Executive Producers on the film alongside award-winning South African broadcast journalist Siphiwo Ralo.
Veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal will serve as Co-Producer and will be producing new recordings from Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba’s massive catalogue of songs for the film’s soundtrack.
The Road Home is based on an original script written by Michael Bronner (The Mauritanian, United 93), from a story by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda. Principal photography is now underway in South Africa.
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