South African-born, UK-based director Roger Michell is attached to direct the feature adaptation of Zelda la Grange’s bestselling book Good Morning, Mr. Mandela, which Working Title Films is understood to have come on board to produce alongside the US’ Maven Screen Media.
Good Morning, Mr. Mandela is a personal tribute by white Afrikaner La Grange to the late South African leader and freedom fighter, one of the dominant figures in global politics in the second half of the 20th century. After his presidency, Mandela picked La Grange to serve as his private secretary at a time when distrust and tensions still ran high in South Africa between the black population and white Afrikaners.
The story spans Mandela’s release from prison to his death.
Maven Screen Media has been developing the script for the last few years and South African writer Shawn Slovo, whose credits include A World Apart and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, is adapting the screenplay.
Michell, whose credits include Notting Hill for Working Title, most recently directed The Duke, starring Helen Mirren and John Broadbent, for Pathe UK. It will make its world premiere, out of competition, at Venice next month.
Neither Working Title Films nor Maven Screen Media responded to Screen’s request for comment.
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