Charles Babalola (The Outlaws) has been cast as Shaka in the highly anticipated new series “King Shaka,” Showtime announced on Thursday.
The epic drama tells the story of a man’s personal journey from his stigmatized childhood to becoming a legendary king. Babalola will join Aïssa Maïga (“Fear Index”) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Duomo (“The King’s Woman”) as Bambatha, a patroness who finds her fate forever tied to Chaka.
Also among the cast is Thapilo Mokoena (“Lead”), who will be the guest star as Gendeyana, a Qwabe leader who grows up close to Shaka and Nandi. Warren Massimola (Queen Sono) as Magazawa, who provides a safe haven for Shaka and Nandi but at a cost.
Production will take place next month in King Shaka’s hometown of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The series will be filmed entirely in South Africa and is scheduled to premiere on Showtime in 2023.
Babalola’s TV credits include “Black Mirror: Hated in the Nation”, “Bancroft” and “Thirteen”. ” He also starred in “Gretel & Hansel” and “Mary Magdalene” as well as “The Legend of Tarzan”. He will later appear in the upcoming movie “Borderlands. ”
“This outstanding international actor is, quite literally, a dream team,” said creators Ulu Odebonmi and Tolo Osica. “The powerful story of King Shaka and the Zulu Nation speaks to the heart of everything we identify with as Africans. It is a great pleasure and honor to share the greatness of the history of the Zulu people through a complete and meticulous approach that represents a microcosm of African history across the continent. We could not be more excited to re-introduce this account than The perspective of its people and its sharing with the world.”
Produced by CBS Studios in association with Propagate and Fuqua Films, “King Shaka” is produced by Odebunmi, Awosika, Antoine Fuqua, Bridget Carpenter, Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell. Seth Mann, who directs the pilot, and Spencer Medoff are also executive producers. Scott Greenberg is a producer, and Michael Callas produces on behalf of Fuqua Films.
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