The Road Home

The Road Home is a musical drama heading into production in Cape Town this June, directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon. The film centers on South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, exiled during apartheid, who finds himself caught between his mentor Archbishop Trevor Huddleston and friend Paul Simon when a cultural boycott is launched against Simon's Graceland album. Thabo Rametsi stars as Masekela, with Cynthia Erivo as powerhouse vocalist Miriam Makeba and Guy Pearce as Archbishop Huddleston. Michael Bronner wrote the screenplay from a story he developed with South African novelist Zakes Mda, drawing on extensive research including interviews with Paul Simon and the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation. Studiocanal is financing the feature with Flora Films, producing alongside Laura Bickford, Greg Yolen, and Anant Singh. Veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal, who worked on the original Graceland album, serves as co-producer and has secured music rights for new recordings from Masekela and Makeba's catalogues. Principal photography begins June 29 in Cape Town, employing over 300 local crew members. Palisades Park Pictures will launch international sales at Cannes.