Netflix is bringing another South African original to screens with Blood & Water

Despite how cynical I often appear in my posts, I do dearly love the world of cinema, and local productions are included in that. I tend to hold our local films and TV series to very high standards, mostly because I want to see them succeed. Our local industry builds more and more momentum each year and I’m honestly delighted to watch it grow. Lately, our region is getting a lot of love from Netflix, and I am all for it!

After recently adding the new South African TV series Shadow to its roster, entertainment giant Netflix has announced a brand-new original series, Blood & Water, as its second original from South Africa. The first South African Netflix original being a spy show, Queen Sono, which you can read about here.

From Netflix’s press release, Blood & Water will feature an up and coming talented South African cast, and be filmed later this year. This new series will be a teen-led drama which follows a local teen uncovering her family’s secret past and navigating the complicated world of a South African high school.

The series will be directed by the award-winning South African female powerhouse, Nosipho Dumisa. Dumisa has already made her mark globally, with Nommer 37, which earned her the Cheval Noir jury prize for Best Director at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. She has also been nominated for Best Picture, among others, in this year’s SAFTA awards. The Nommer 37 production team will also be onboard, with Daryne Joshua & Travis Taute writing and co-directing with Nosipho, Bradley Joshua and Benjamin Overmeyer as producers and Simon Beesley as lead editor.

In a statement released with the Netflix announcement, Dumisa states:

Gambit Films and I are so excited to be working with Netflix on this explosive young adult drama, with not only a cool look at strong female leads but also a powerful mystery at its core. As a director who loves genre, this series combines the best of so many and isn’t shy to delve into the real issues of youth culture, whilst jam-packing it with twists that will keep viewers guessing.

Kelly Luegenbiehl, Vice President of International Originals — Europe, Turkey and Africa, at Netflix, had this to add:

“We are delighted to be investing further in African content and to partner with Nosipho and the team at Gambit Films to bring our second original series from South Africa to Netflix. Great stories are universal, so we expect this gripping teen drama, with its view on contemporary high school life, to appeal to young adults from South Africa, as well as the rest of the world. Following on the heels of Queen Sono, Blood & Water is the next step in our further investment in original African content and we’re excited to explore more projects across the region.”

The series is due to start production in 2019 and is expected to launch globally in 190 countries in 2020.

Last Updated: February 26, 2019