King Shaka tells the impressive story of the founder of the Zulu Empire. It is the last new series to be dropped from Showtime before it airs. The network will soon be merged with sister streamer Paramount+ and will now be called Paramount+ with Showtime.
The production, starring Charles Babalola as the lead, was permanently halted over the weekend as it wrapped in South Africa's historic province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the birthplace of King Shaka. Most of the filming, including the final episode, had already been completed, with twelve days of shooting remaining. Producer CBS Studios is exploring other options for the series, which can compile a full season from the images. Showtime helps the studio find a new home for the series.
Formerly known as Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation, King Shaka comes from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios.
The series tells the story of the founder of the Zulu empire Shaka (Babalola, pictured) and his unlikely rise to power. He united several tribes in large parts of southern Africa in the early 19th century and turned his power into a legend, comparable to the most important figures in history.
The $90 million story, a long-running passion project by Fuqua, was tipped as one of Showtime's greatest productions ever and features a large cast and elaborate battle sequences.
Charmaine Bingwa, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Aïssa Maïga and Thando Dlomo are also part of the regular cast and Tony Kgoroge, Sindi Dlatu and Bahle Hadebe can be seen in recurring roles.
King Shaka joins two other new drama series with completed seasons that have been canceled by Showtime in recent months: Three Women, which ended up on Starz, and Ripley, which moved to Netflix.
It was recently revealed that the network has been scrapping a large portion of its programs in development as it shifts its programming strategy to focus on the three main lines previously laid out by Chris McCarthy: complex characters and subversive anti-heroes such as Dexter, Your Honor (US) and Yellowjackets, powerful, high-stakes worlds like Billions and Homeland and culturally diverse series like The Chi and the upcoming Fellow Travelers.
Terwijl King Shaka niet op Showtime zal worden uitgezonden, werkt het premium netwerk nog wel aan meerdere andere dramaprojecten met diverse verhalen, waaronder een project van The Chi-showrunner Justin Hillian, Panda van Eddie Huang (Fresh off the Boat) en Quiet in Her Bones van schrijfster Aminta Goyel. Showtime is ook van plan om diversiteit toe te voegen aan de Billions-franchise, aangezien deze wordt uitgebreid met meerdere spin-offs.
The decision to initially release King Shaka followed a reassessment of Showtime's programming by the new regime McCarthy put in place after adding the network to his oversight last fall.
King Shaka is produced by Odebunmi and Awosika, Fuqua, Bridget Carpenter, Propagate's Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell. Seith Mann (Homeland, Elementary), who directed the pilot, and Spencer Medof also serve as executive producers. Scott Greenberg is a producer and Michael Callas produces for Fuqua Films.
The series included a manufacturing investment in South Africa and the province of KZN, employing over 300 local workers for all facets of production. In addition, the production partnered with career development programs such as SA Film Academy and the Academy of Creative Excellence to provide production internships and other opportunities.