Martin Freeman will star in British production Svengali while Orlando Bloom has been cast in French drama Zulu.

Jonny Owen and Dean Cavanagh are adapting their YouTube comedy series Svengali for the big screen, with Martin Freeman, Vicky McClure and Jonny Owen set to star. The rock and roll comedy is produced by Root Films, and will be directed by John Hardwick when shooting kicks off on Monday (27). It centres on a small town guy from the Welsh Valleys who heads for the bright lights of London intent on becoming the manager of the best band in the world.

In July shooting will start in South Africa on Jérôme Salle’s new film Zulu starring Djimon Hounsou and Orlando Bloom. The drama is set against the backdrop of post-apartheid South Africa: two Cape Town police officers with roots on either side of the apartheid divide, work together to fight lawlessness in the city in a post-apartheid era. The story is based on French author Caryl Férey’s eponymous crime novel and was adapted by Salle together with Julien Rappeneau. Eskwad and Pathé are co-producing the project with the latter also handling international sales.

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