Showtime in the US has greenlit a series about the Zulu Empire chief Shaka and his unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of Africa in the early 19th century.
Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation will be executive produced and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and was created and written by Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika.
Produced by CBS Studios and Propagate, the hour-long drama follows one man’s personal journey from stigmatised childhood to warrior king.
Odebunmi and Awosika (The Terminal List) executive produce with Ben Silverman, Rodney Ferrell, Fuqua, Howard T Owens, Gregory Lipstone, Rodney Ferrell and Spencer Medof.
The series is also produced by Scott Greenberg, with Michael Callas producing for Fuqua Films. The series is distributed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
Gary Levine, co-president of entertainment at ViacomCBS-owned Showtime Networks alongside Jana Winograde, said: “Olu and Tolu have written such an exciting and emotional origin story of an African warrior hero. Antoine’s passion for this project, coupled with his formidable talent, promises an epic series unlike any other on television.”
Fuqua added: “This project offers a gateway to our past that is so critical to our global history and yet so often marginalized. We hope to bring this saga to life, all the tears, sweat and blood, all the joy and sorrow, all the intimacy and intensity and humanity. In short, we’re going to rock the world with this one.”
tagged in: Antoine Fuqua, CBS Studios, Fuqua Films, Gary Levine, Michael Callas, Propagate, Scott Greenberg, Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation, ViacomCBS
