Netflix backs its first African drama
Spy drama Queen Sono will be Netflix’s first African series and is being produced by Johannesburg-based production company Diprente in South Africa.
By Nick Goundry 13 Dec 2018
Spy drama Queen Sono will be Netflix’s first African series and is being produced by Johannesburg production company Diprente in South Africa.
The series will be headlined by South African actor Pearl Thusi (pictured), who is best known internationally for her appearances in popular US drama Quantico.
Queen Sono will go into production in 2019 and will be directed by Kagiso Lediga, who previously worked with Thusi on the Netflix feature Catching Feelings, also shot in South Africa.
Lediga is an executive producer on Queen Sono as well, along with Tamsin Andersson.
“We are delighted to create this original series with Netflix and are super-excited by their undeniable ability to take this home-grown South African story to a global audience,” said Lediga.
“We believe Queen Sono will kick the door open for more awesome stories from this part of the world.”
South Africa remains one of the top production hubs in the southern hemisphere and is frequently used as a stand-in for Middle Eastern story settings.
Recent high-profile features to have shot in the country have included a reboot of Tomb Raider and Monster Hunter from filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, also an adaptation of a popular videogame title.
See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in South Africa.
Image: Nicole Rivelli/ABC
Queen Sono will go into production in 2019 and will be directed by Kagiso Lediga, who previously worked with Thusi on the Netflix feature Catching Feelings, also shot in South Africa.
Lediga is an executive producer on Queen Sono as well, along with Tamsin Andersson.
“We are delighted to create this original series with Netflix and are super-excited by their undeniable ability to take this home-grown South African story to a global audience,” said Lediga.
“We believe Queen Sono will kick the door open for more awesome stories from this part of the world.”
South Africa remains one of the top production hubs in the southern hemisphere and is frequently used as a stand-in for Middle Eastern story settings.
Recent high-profile features to have shot in the country have included a reboot of Tomb Raider and Monster Hunter from filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, also an adaptation of a popular videogame title.
See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in South Africa.
Image: Nicole Rivelli/ABC
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