Lioness is a jaw-dropping tale of a woman who is falsely accused and imprisoned. She needs to rise from the ashes to get back what was taken from her.
Following in the footsteps of recent top-class drama shows like Inconceivable, Still Breathing and Trackers, Lioness comes as M-Net’s next installment in dedication to bringing purely African drama to South African screens.
The 10-part crime thriller tells the story a woman who is incarcerated after being framed for fraud by her own husband before his death. Eight years later, however, she discovers that he is still alive after attempting to reunite with her children.
Shannon Esra, breakout star of Still Breathing, leads a cast of top-notch South African actors to portray this powerful storyline. Speaking to news website, IOL, Esra said: “I started reading the character breakdown of Sam and I was like, ‘I am Sam’. I just felt instantly connected to her. I resonated with her on multiple levels.” She plays the lead role of Samantha ‘Sam’ Hugo. She added: “She doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She has this love and patience and kindness. I am so obsessed with Sam.”
Esra is joined by Jacques Bessenger, star of internationally acclaimed films Kanarie and Krotoa. Frank Rautenbach also joins the cast with a big reputation after starring in the hit biographical drama, The Bang Bang Club, as well as multiple local productions. The cast also includes Nokuthula Ledwaba (The River), Gerald Steyn (Trackers), Joshua Eady (Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack) and SAFTA-nominated star of Homeland, Fiona Ramsay.
Lioness is brought to life by the SAFTA-winning production company, Ochre Moving Pictures, known for being the driving force behind Spoorloos and Housekeepers.
After seeing the first episode of the new drama, fans shared their praise on Twitter:
Lioness will light up a primetime slot and captivate audiences with memorable performances and a relentless plot full of twists and turns. Be sure to watch the first episode here.
