Written by Kianna Best on Aug 10, 2022. Posted in Production News

Action drama Spinners begins filming in South Africa

New drama Spinners has started filming in Cape Town, South Africa. The series is a co-production between African streaming service Showmax and media company CANAL+. International distribution for the programme will be handled by Studio Canal. 

Spinners, an English, Kappa and Afrikaans action-drama, is centred around the dangerous South African motor sport spinning. Following 17-year-old driver Ethan, the narrative tracks his experiences working with a local gang, run by leader Damien. In attempt to free himself from the unsavoury life he has found himself in, and provide a better environment for his younger brother, Ethan sees an escape through spinning. The lead character must push past the presence of the  gang in an effort to come out the other side. 

The show will be directed by 2021 SXSW winner and 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) Best TV drama nominee Jaco Bouwer. Co-creators Joachim Landau and Benjamin Hoffman will also be joined by accredited SAFTA-winning writers Matthew Jankes, Sean Steinberg, Gillian Breslin, Daniel Zimbler, Byron Abrahams and Zoë Laband.

Spinners will be produced by Landau and Raphaël Rocher for Empreinte Digitale, and co-produced by Ramadan Suleman (Zulu Love Letter, Fools). Natives at Large, a full-service film and television production outfit, will serve as the show’s local co-production presence, a company started by Locarno, Amiens and FESPACO winner Suleman. 

Leading roles will be played by Arendsvlei’s Cantona James and Chelsea Thomas. Alongside them, the cast includes SAFTA winner Brendon Daniels (Zulu, Skemerdans, Five Fingers for Marseille) and local celebrity Dillon Windvogel (Blood & Water). DJ Ready D, South African hip hop legend, co-founder and member of Prophets of the City, and Cape Town based artist will act as the music supervisor and composer for the series. 

Images courtesy of STUDIO CANAL