KwaZulu-Natal brags about Thuso Mbedu
The superstars attended the premiere screening of The Woman King at Gateway Theatre on Friday last week attended by over 400 invited guests.
Internationally acclaimed South African actress, Thuso Mbedu visited her hometown and province ahead of the premiere of The Woman King, in which she makes her film debut opposite lead actress Viola Davis.
KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC), Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) partnered to host a true KZN homecoming for Mbedu, her co-star, British actor and producer, John Boyega and other cast members of the movie which will be released tomorrow (October 1) in South Africa.
The Woman King, an upcoming American historical epic film, inspired by true events and the Agojie all female warrior unit which protected the West African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. It was shot in South Africa and KZN particularly Jozini. Thuso stars as Nawi in the film.
KZNFC Acting CEO, Victor Senna said: “This is an exciting moment when the daughter of KZN soil comes home to celebrate her achievements with the nation. As the Film Commission and our partners, we are thrilled to host our talent.”
In a tightly packed two-day itinerary, the stars met with the heads of partner organisations, media, overnighted at Nambithi Game Reserve in Ladysmith, and Mbedu, Boyega thrilled pupils of Pelham primary school, Mbedu’s primary school.
Mbedu is originally from Pietermaritzburg.
“This is a great partnership between provincial and local government to show the world that KZN is back in action. This was the perfect opportunity to showcase our province to a global audience and assure international filmmakers that KZN is the ideal tourism and film destination. The cast of this movie are much loved and celebrated stars in some of our key international markets like Nigeria, UK and the USA which makes this a perfect partnership,” said Senna.
The superstars attended the premiere screening of The Woman King at Gateway Theatre on Friday last week attended by over 400 invited guests.
Meanwhile, Mbedu was nominated for an International Emmy for her role in the drama series Is’Thunzi, appeared on the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list and starred in the Amazon video limited series The Underground Railroad in 2021. Her other well-known roles include Kitso Medupe in the soapie Scandal, Nosisa in Isibaya, and Boni Khumalo in Saints and Sinners.
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