The latest edition to M-Net’s slate of top-class drama, which includes Legacy, Still Breathing, Trackers and more, will have its world premiere at the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
Reyka follows a highly skilled criminal profiler who returns to her hometown to solve a string of brutal murders by a serial killer. Childhood trauma connected to the town haunts the character, who uses her past experiences to help her enter the minds of notorious criminals.
The lead character of the series, Reyka Gama, is portrayed by Kim Engelbrecht, whose credits include roles in international shows like Dominion, Bulletproof, The Flash and Raised by Wolves. She is joined on-screen by Scottish star of shows such as Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, Iain Glen. The cast also features star of hit drama Housekeepers, Thando Thabethe, as well as Anna-Mart van der Merwe (Kanarie, Poppie Nongena), Hamilton Dhlamini (Isithembiso), Kenneth Nkosi (District 9, Tsotsi) and Desmond Dube (Impilo: The Scam) to name a few.
The eight-part crime drama will be distributed globally by Fremantle and is produced by Serena Cullen for Serena Cullen Productions (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Cold Feet) and Harriet Gavshon for Emmy nominated Quizzical Pictures (The Girl from St Agnes, iNumber Number) in South Africa. The series is created and written by award-winning screenwriter Rohan Dickson (Husk, Welcome to Hawaii).
“Our first co-production on this sort of scale was Trackers that we co-produced with HBO’s sister channel Cinemax and ZDF and has received great reviews in the US, Australia, France, and the UK,” says Nkateko Mabaso, CEO of M-Net. “This partnership with Fremantle is a brilliant way to showcase our prowess as DStv is Africa’s most-loved storyteller, and we particularly relish pairing our local talent with international stars.”
“As production commences on our first ever South African drama, this is a proud moment for Fremantle and M-Net. The series has been in development for many years, and we hope it will be the first of many successful projects in the region. Reyka is a rich and compelling story and we couldn’t be happier to have Kim and Iain onboard to bring these complex characters to life – we are confident it will be one of our standout international dramas for 2021,” says Julie Hodge, Editorial Director of Global Drama at Fremantle.
The 60th anniversary edition of Monte-Carlo Television Festival starts on 18 June at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. Prince Albert II, honorary president of the festival, will officially commence the five-day event. The prince is married to South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock.
“It is also my greatest pleasure to open this 60th anniversary with the series Reyka. Beginning the festival with a South African production has a very special touch, especially in light of the close ties that exist between South Africa and the Principality of Monaco,” says Laurent Puons, festival CEO. “This dynamic drama looks set to be a global hit and we’re thrilled to be able to kick off our festival with this worldwide launch.”
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