STUDIOCANAL has partnered with Flora Films on The Road Home, a sweeping music-driven drama led by Emmy, Grammy, Tony winner and three-time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Harriet), South African actor-filmmaker Thabo Rametsi (Silverton Siege), and Academy Award nominee Guy Pearce (The Brutalist).
Oscar winner Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, Kiss of the Spider Woman) will direct the film from an original screenplay by Michael Bronner (The Mauritanian, United 93), with story contributions from Bronner and acclaimed South African writer Zakes Mda.
Set against the charged political backdrop of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, The Road Home follows legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Rametsi), an exile navigating the tension between art, activism, and identity across two worlds. When the movement—led by his mentor, anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Pearce)—launches a boycott against Paul Simon over his landmark township-inspired album Graceland, Masekela finds himself at a moral and cultural crossroads.
Rather than retreat, Masekela chooses a different path: one rooted in musical collaboration and global storytelling. Breaking from his mentor’s stance, he joins forces with fellow exile and lifelong collaborator Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba (Erivo) to form the Graceland band—an international supergroup designed to amplify South Africa’s voice on a global stage.
The film features music from Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Paul Simon, weaving real historical artistry into its narrative fabric.
Screenwriter Michael Bronner—whose connection to South Africa began in 2000 during a Peabody Award-winning 60 Minutes documentary—was first approached by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation to develop the screenplay. The Foundation played an active role in the film’s development, offering historical insight and contextual guidance. Bronner also conducted extensive research, including interviews with Paul Simon. Additional contributions came from Zakes Mda, who interviewed Masekela directly.
Veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal serves as co-producer and oversees new recordings from Masekela and Makeba’s catalog for the soundtrack. Rosenthal also played a key role during the original Graceland era and helped secure music rights for the film.
The film is produced by Oscar-nominated producer Laura Bickford (Traffic, Che Part One and Two, Arbitrage), Michael Bronner (Smashing Dandelions), Greg Yolen (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Good Liar), and Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Sarafina!).
Executive producers include Fiona Druckenmiller and Rob Bath, alongside Studiocanal leadership: CEO Anna Marsh, EVP Global Production Ron Halpern, and US Chief Creative Officer Shana Eddy-Grouf. Sudie Smyth oversees physical production, with Sam Shipp serving as creative executive.
STUDIOCANAL is financing the project with Flora Films and Rob Bath and will distribute the film across South Africa, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. Palisades Park Pictures, backed by Ashland Hill Media Finance and led by CEO Tamara Birkemoe, will launch international sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.