The film focuses on Ndebele's fall from grace and his struggle to regain hope. “It is a love story filled with adventure, action, intrigue, star-crossed lovers, redemption and courage,” says Canadian director Peter Bishai, who also penned the screenplay, which he describe as a mixture of Slumdog Millionaire and Romeo & Juliet.
The film is a South African/Canadian co-production with André Pieterse of Ma-Afrika Films (producer of the original e'Lollipop) and Michael Mosca from Equinoxe Films (distributors of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) serving as the South African and Canadian producers respectively. Charles Fries is executive producer. Philo Films, with Johan Kruger as line producer, provides production services.
André Pieterse says, “It is not a remake, a sequel or a documentary, but the powerful story of the ironic twist of Muntu and Norman's journey after they shot to fame following e'Lollipop.”
Ndebele, who consulted on the screenplay and is on set daily, says he is proud he has such a platform to tell his story. Philo Pieterse (executive producer on e'Lollipop) serves as associate producer, along with Ndebele.
The film will be shot on location in and around Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal for the next five weeks before being launched at the Cannes Film Festival. The Industrial Development Corporation and the Dept of Trade and Industry support the film and Fries Entertainment will handle world sales, excluding South Africa and Canada.
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