Story perspectives

StudioCanal Begins $300M “The Road Home” Shoot in South Africa

4/24/2026

Summary

StudioCanal Begins Filming

StudioCanal will start principal photography on The Road Home in South Africa in June 2026.
Bill Condon directs, with a screenplay by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda, and stars Cynthia Erivo, Thabo Rametsi and Guy Pearce.
The R300 million production will be distributed by StudioCanal in South Africa, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand.
Its soundtrack will feature new recordings from Hugh Masekela’s and Miriam Makeba’s catalogues.

Summary

Masekela Starts Filming

Principal photography starts in Cape Town in June, recreating the 1986 Graceland era.
Hilton Rosenthal scripted the film, secured music rights, and hired Michael Bronner, who wrote the screenplay after research and a Paul Simon interview.
The film shows Masekela’s clash with Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, who boycotts Graceland over a UN cultural ban.
Masekela joins Simon and Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba, forming a super-group to spread South African music worldwide.

History

Historical Context

The cultural boycott against apartheid South Africa, initiated by Bishop Trevor Huddleston in 1954 and supported by the UN in 1980, intensified in 1986 as artists like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba protested Paul Simon's "Graceland." This controversy highlighted the global struggle against apartheid, culminating in Simon's 1987 tour that showcased South African musicians, despite significant backlash from anti-apartheid activists.

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StudioCanal Begins Filming

StudioCanal will start principal photography on The Road Home in South Africa in June 2026.
Bill Condon directs, with a screenplay by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda, and stars Cynthia Erivo, Thabo Rametsi and Guy Pearce.
The R300 million production will be distributed by StudioCanal in South Africa, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand.
Its soundtrack will feature new recordings from Hugh Masekela’s and Miriam Makeba’s catalogues.

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