Cape Town, South Africa’s very own ‘little Hollywood’ is regarded, both internationally and nationally, as a premier filming destination. Maybe it’s the natural beauty of the Cape, or the vibrant charm exuding from our lands.
Whatever it may be, The Mother City always gleams with pride at hearing the acting world’s favourite catchphrase ‘Lights, camera, action!’
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Here are 9 incredible movies and series whose stories play out right here in our beloved backyard:
London Calling
After having recently starred in Buddy Games: Spring Awakening alongside Dan Bakkeddahl, Kevin Dillon and James Rodriguez last year, Josh Duhamel finds himself mixing business and pleasure in South Africa, where production for a new action comedy titled London Calling recently began, with some scenes being filmed in Cape Town.
According to Screen Daily, London Calling sees Duhamel playing Tommy Ward, a mediocre hitman who goes on the run and gets stuck in Los Angeles after mistakenly killing the relative of London’s biggest crime lord (Aidan Gillen).
Ward’s only chance to get back to London to be with his son is to take his new employer’s (Rick Hoffman) awkward teenager (Jeremy Ray Taylor) under his wing, teach the youngster how to be a man and bring him on his latest contract killing.
One Piece (Netflix live-action)
Filming of Netflix’s new One Piece live-action series has been a long time coming since its first announcement back in January 2020. One Piece is another feather in Cape Town’s cap when it comes to Hollywood magic that used the Mother City as a setting.
One Piece is an anime adaptation of the much-beloved manga by Eiichiro Oda. The action-packed story follows Monkey D. Luffy’s quest to raise his own crew (The Straw Hats), find the mythical treasure known as ‘One Piece’ and declare himself as the Pirate King within the ruthless and cut-throat ‘Golden Age of Pirates’.
Not only, was the series filmed in the Mother City, but its production also created approximately 1 000 full-time equivalent jobs for our locals with the series featuring dozens of South African actors, stunt performers, crew and post-production services.
It was also announced in September last year that Netflix ordered a second season of the live-action series, meaning the world of Monkey D. Luffy and The Straw Hats will take over Cape Town Film Studios for a while longer.
Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi
This one may come as a bit of a shocker, but it’s true. South Africa has played host to a whopping eight of Khatron Ke Khiladi seasons (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and potentially 14). With its variety of amazing location, experienced crews and some of the best natural light, it’s clear to see why the series keeps returning to the Mother City.
The Indian stunt-based reality TV series, based on the American Series Fear Factor, sees a selected number of celebrity contestants performing a series of death-defying stunts while facing their worst fears under the watchful eye of host Rohit Shetty, as they compete for the coveted trophy, prize money and a brand new car.
The Woman King
Based on powerful true events and starring Academy Award-winner Viola Davis, the masterpiece that is The Woman King tells the story of the Agojie, the legendary all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen.
The story takes place in what is today the Republic of Benin in West Africa. However, the film was not filmed in Benin. Instead, it was filmed in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape using locations that resembled that of West Africa.
To properly convey the grandeur of King Ghezo’s palace, an old munitions factory on the Outskirts of Cape Town was used. When the Agojie finally battled the Oyo, the Wiesenhof Nature Reserve offered the ideal backdrop for the scene.
While Palmiet Beach not only served expansive sands for the European traders to land their ships, a nearby estuary provided the perfect setting for Nanisca and Nawi’s escape from the Port of Quidah (represented by the Castle of Good Hope – plus a few add-ons).
Redeeming Love
Starring Tom Lewis, Abigail Cowen, and Logan Marshall-Green, this touching and romantic period drama retells the biblical tale of Hosia and centres around the unlikely relationship of Michael Hosea and Sarah, who becomes known as Angel.
Set in the American Old West, producer Cindy Bond says ‘we quickly realised that South Africa is the perfect home for this film because of the lush green, the mountains, the trees, the vineyards. That is what northern California is, all of those elements.’
Not only was the movie filmed in and around Cape Town, it even stars a number of local actors, including Daniah De Villiers, Stephen Jennings, Tanya van Graan, Clyde Berning and Brandon Auret.
Raised by Wolves
In addition to Cape Town’s unique charm as a film location, the land itself even has a knack for acting. With its ability to disguise itself as cities from around the globe, or transform itself into dystopian and alien-like worlds, Cape Town always keeps viewers wondering where exactly on our home ground this is.
Just like season one of the biggest-budget series to be shot in South Africa, most of the second season filming concluded right here in the Mother City. Set in the 22nd century, our local production experts, Cape Town Film Studio created a complex high-tech galactic setting with the perfect futuristic feel.
Two androids, creatively named Mother and Father (played by Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim), have been sent to Kepler-22b, an Earth-like planet after Earth was destroyed in The Great War. Their sole mission is to establish an atheist colony of humans and raise ‘their children’ like normal kids without religion.
The sci-fi smash hit is available for streaming on Showmax.
Resident Evil
Debuting as a Netflix Original series developed by Andrew Dabb, the same production companies that made the classic movie franchise happen (Constantin Film and Moonlighting Films) were behind the productions of the new live-action version.
“Resident Evil” stars Ella Balinska, Lance Reddick, Paola Núñez, and Adeline Rudolph, and follows two timelines that explore the origins of twins in New Racoon City both in the past and in the present day riddled with the devastating effects of the T-virus.
An obscure city no one has heard of, or simply green screen magic and advanced post-production? Where on Earth is the fictional New Racoon City?
Covering two different years, 2022 and 2036, Best of Netflix confirms that Cape Town Film Studios were once again responsible for dressing up parts of Cape Town to create some of the spine-chilling settings played out in the series, alongside the UK.
Beast
Idris Elba joined forces with South African actors Leah Sava Jeffries, Sharlto Copley, and Iyana Halley to film his latest movie Beast.
Dr. Nate Samuels (played by Elba), a recently widowed husband who returns to the place he first met his wife, South Africa, on a long-planned trip with their teenage daughters to a game reserve managed by an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing suddenly jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a rogue lion begins stalking them.
Since the highly anticipated thriller was actually set in South Africa, it only made sense that the entire production was filmed across the country. Film locations included the Northern Cape, the rural province of Limpopo, and Cape Town.
Mission Impossible 8
It’s been 25 years since the fictional character Ethan Hunt dropped onto the big screen for the first “Mission Impossible” film. Now, years later the action spy blockbuster franchise continues with the eighth instalment making its way to the big screen in 2025.
And where is it being filmed? None other than South Africa of course.
According to sources in the movie industry, American superstar and producer Tom Cruise, other cast members and the film crew produced movie magic in KwaZulu-Natal at the start of February last year. They have been spotted in Limpopo. Thereafter they made their way to the Mother City for a few more scenes before heading to the UK.
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Picture: Unsplash
