Netflix continues to prove their commitment to diversity with the development of new series, Queen Sono, a new dramedy set in South Africa.
South African publication IOL Entertainment reports the show will star Pearl Thusi (Quantico) as a “highly trained top spy in a South African agency whose purpose is to better the lives of African citizens,” while adjusting to the changing relationships within her personal life.
Thusi shared her excitement over Netflix’s first African series about a “kick ass female spy,” via social media.
https://twitter.com/PearlThusi/status/1072031139198582784
Kelly Luegenbiehl, Netflix’s Vice President of International Originals for Europe and Africa, had this to say about Queen Sono:
“We love the team behind the show, [and] we’re passionate about coming in and doing something that feels fresh and different.It’s really exciting for us. Their point of view and creating a strong female character was really something that also really drew us to it.”
Vice President of International Originals, Erik Barmack, shared, “Taking talent like this and telling stories to the rest of the world puts Pearl in the same category as other strong female characters like Claire Underwood in House of Cards and Jessica Jones.”
“Over time our roots will get deeper in Africa and South Africa,” Barmack added, “and we’re moving pretty quickly to that now, and plan to invest more in local content.”
Series creator Kagiso Lediga also shared his anticipation to bring this story to the masses, saying, “We are delighted to create this original series with Netflix and are super excited by their undeniable ability to take this homegrown South African story to a global audience. We believe Queen Sono will kick the door open for more awesome stories from this part of the world.”
Queen Sono is expected to launch in 190 countries in 2019.
