Showtime has ordered the series “Shaka: King of The Zulu Nation” from Antoine Fuqua, the pay TV channel said Tuesday.
Created and written by Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, the hourlong show is described as an “epic drama centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king.”
Per Showtime, “Rooted in actual events, ‘Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation’ tells the story of the Zulu Empire chief Shaka and his unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of Africa in the early 19th century to transform his power into legend, on par with history’s most seminal figures. In ferocious battles that test the body and soul, in alliances that test the bonds of love and friendship, a complex sociological system plays out that renders the human cost front and center, for the victors as well as the vanquished, all in an effort to carve out a semblance of identity, fulfillment and ultimately, survival.”
“Olu and Tolu have written such an exciting and emotional origin story of an African warrior hero,” Gary Levine, who is Showtime Networks Inc’s president of entertainment, a title he shares with Jana Winograde, said Tuesday. “Antoine’s passion for this project, coupled with his formidable talent, promises an epic series unlike any other on television.”
“This project offers a gateway to our past that is so critical to our global history and yet so often marginalized,” Fuqua added. “Through ‘Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation,’ we hope to bring this saga to life, all the tears, sweat and blood, all the joy and sorrow, all the intimacy and intensity and humanity. In short, we’re going to rock the world with this one.”
“Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation” is executive produced by Fuqua, Odebunmi, Awosika, Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Gregory Lipstone, Rodney Ferrell and Spencer Medof. The series is also produced by Scott Greenberg, and Michael Callas is producing for Fuqua Films.
The drama hails from CBS Studios, Propagate and Fuqua Films.