South African Actors Take Their Places in U.S. Remake Of Hit Movie

allafrica.com
Rajesh Gopie, Stevel Marc and Tanya van Graan.
31 July 2019
allAfrica.com
By Melody Chironda

Cape Town — You can catch the faces of South African actors in the hot new remake of the hit TV show, The Professionals.

The show is a "loose remake" of the Christian Slater-fronted action movie, Soldiers of Fortune.

The movie is now being interpreted as a 10-episode series that will run on the Scandinavian streaming service, Viaplay.

The series is currently shooting in Johannesburg, South Africa, and will later move to Ireland.

Hollywood A-list stars Brendan Fraser (The Mummy), Tom Welling (Lucifer), Elena Anaya (Wonder Woman) and Said Taghmaoui (American Hustle) star in this new action adventure series.  The show is represented by an impressive contingent of South African stars - Stevel Marc (Unmarried), Tanya van Graan (Zulu), Kai Luke Brummer (Moffie) , and Nic Rasenti (Black Sails) will be season regulars.

South African actor Rajesh Gopie confirms that he is part of the 10-part English-language series, reports IOL, while Tembisa-born filmmaker Thabang Moleya will direct two episodes.

The series is produced by Most Media, Subotica, Spier Films Production and Roadside Attractions, in association with Jeff Most Productions, Highbridge Production, Tele München Group and Viaplay. According to Film Contact, South African funding has played a major role, with the Industrial Development Corporation making the single largest investment and Department of Trade and Industry pre-approving the rebate application.

This makes the production, Africa's biggest co-production to date, with a combined budget of U.S.$27 million.

According to Deadline, the series is set "against a backdrop of international espionage and corporate sabotage in the 21st century's privately-funded space race and follow Tom Welling as a hardened former counterintelligence officer Captain Vincent Corbo. After their advanced medical satellite explodes on deployment, billionaire futurist Peter Swann, played by Brendan Fraser, and his fiancee, medical visionary Dr. Graciela "Grace" Davila, played by Elena Anaya, turn to Corbo. Corbo assembles a team of experienced professionals to investigate the incident. They learn that any combination of Swann's business rivals, corrupt governments officials, and a shadowy crime syndicate could be behind the attack and represent a continued threat. Ken Duken plays a Europol agent seeking to thwart the security team's efforts".

The 2012 movie Soldiers of Fortune was a huge success in Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

The release date for the series has not yet been revealed.

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