A host of South African celebrities graced the red carpet at the premiere of the locally shot film “Beast“ during a special screening on August 11.
Locals got the chance to rub shoulders with some of the cast members and production team who were in attendance.
The thriller delves into the lives of Dr Nate (Idris Elba) and his daughters 18-year-old Meredith and Nora,13, played by Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries, respectively.
Recently widowed, Nate returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, and he and his daughters head to a game reserve where they meet Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), a wildlife biologist and a dear friend of Nate.
Not long after, the group gets stalked by a beastly lion who stops at nothing to catch his prey.
It becomes a fight for survival as the lion is discovered to have escaped the poachers who wiped out his pride the night before.
At the premiere, donning a black suit, Copley told IOL Entertainment that he was proud of the film being made in SA.
“I’m super proud to be able to be a part of allowing the film to be set in South Africa. It was an incredible experience to shoot here.
“This film had a South African crew working on the highest level of production and it features the incredible landscapes we have here. It focuses on the topic of wildlife conservation and poaching which is very personal to me, so I'm super proud,” said the actor.
As for acting alongside Elba, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Copley said it felt very natural.
“He is such a skilled and relaxed professional, we related to each other as real people so we naturally kind of energetically got on.”
Strutting her stuff on the red carpet was first-time actress Naledi Mogadime, who plays Nate’s wife.
The former “Big Brother Mzansi” Top 10 contestant looked beautiful in her navy blue off-the-shoulder dress.
“It was so amazing to be playing alongside Idris. This is my first acting role and I was blown away by the experience. I look forward to the new opportunities that will come after this.”
Production of the movie took 10 weeks and scenes were filmed in Cape Town, Limpopo and Northern Cape.
Other celebrities who graced the red carpet include rap-rave duo Die Antwoord, TV personalities Katlego Maboe and Shahan Ramkissoon, and “Beast” cast members Martin Munro and Kazi Khuboni, as well as Cape Town City Manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo.
Maboe looked chic in a pink blazer, black tracksuit pants and a pair of black pointy suede ankle boots while Ramkissoon looked dapper in his two-piece black suit.
“I'm so chuffed to be attending this premiere, I await my role in the next film Idris will be making in SA,” Ramkissoon joked.
Khuboni, who plays a pilot in “Beast”, looked ravishing in a long red figure-hugging dress with an African-print piece of fabric on the left shoulder.
“Beast” is showing at cinemas, nationwide.