Netflix announces first original Afrikaans series
Netflix has announced it will start streaming its first Afrikaans language series Ludik globally next month.
The six-part series stars The Mummy and Silverton Siege actor Arnold Vosloo in the leading role of Daan Ludik.
He will be flanked by other well-known local talents such as Rob Van Vuuren, Diaan Lawrenson, and Zane Mease.
The series was created by Rose and Oaks Media, with Anele Mdoda, Paul Buys, and Frankie Du Toit as executive producers and Ian Gabriel and Harold Holscher as directors.
Netflix said it mixes “knuckle-busting action, over-the-top Afrikaans humour and loads of twists from start to finish”.
“The series revolves around Ludik, who appears to be a salt of the earth oke, styling himself as a wholesome family man running a successful furniture business,” Netflix said.
“However, behind the veneer of respectability, Ludik is steeped in the underworld that sees him crossing paths with mobsters and murderers.”
“With his family in turmoil, jail time on the horizon and death imminent, Ludik must rely on both his old and new allies to prevail and save his everything.”
Ludik will start streaming on Netflix on Friday, 26 August 2022.
Earlier this year, Netflix announced it was spending R900 million on four South Africa-based productions in 2022 and 2023.
That included one international show — a live-action adaptation of the anime/manga series One Piece — and three local productions.
Parts of one of its latest major releases — a new take on Resident Evil — were also set and shot in Cape Town.
Netflix is no newcomer to movies and films shot in local languages, which has helped it continue to expand its global Originals catalogue as more US-based companies start catching up in the streaming business.
Many of these titles have amassed huge audiences and critical success, such as the Korean-language series Squid Game.
Squid Game became Netflix’s most watched title ever in 2021, resonating with audiences worldwide regardless of whether they had to rely on subtitles to follow the dialogue.
2019 Mexican drama Roma also won the most Oscars for a non-English film at the 91st Academy Awards.