‘King Shaka’ Drama Series Not Moving Forward at Showtime
“King Shaka” will no longer be moving forward at Showtime, TheWrap has confirmed.
Though production on the series, which follows the sweeping story of the Zulu Kingdom founder and his unlikely rise to power, will not continue, most filming on the epic event series is complete, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap, with the final episode mostly filmed. CBS Studios is set to explore other options for the project’s distribution.
The news marks the latest series to not continue at Showtime as the network prepares to merge with Paramount+. Other impacted projects include “Three Women,” which recently found a new home at Starz, and “Ripley,” which landed at Netflix.
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‘Shaka: King of The Zulu Nation’ Drama Series From Antoine Fuqua Ordered at Showtime
Charles Babalola stars as the titular Zulu king in the series, which was originally ordered in 2021, alongside additional cast members Thapelo Mokoenaas, Warren Masemola, Aïssa Maïga, Thando DIomo, Charmaine Bingwa and Nkeki Obi-Melekwe.
Originally titled “Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation,” the series, billed as an “epic drama centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king,” centers on “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,” per Showtime.
Hailing from CBS Studios, Propagate and Fuqua Films, “King Shaka” is executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, Odebunmi, Awosika, Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Gregory Lipstone, Rodney Ferrell and Spencer Medof. Scott Greenberg produces the series alongside Michael Callas, who produces for Fuqua Films.
Deadline first reported the news.
