The wait is over. “Blood Psalms” has officially dropped on Showmax.
The highly anticipated action-packed fantasy series, produced by Yellow Bone Entertainment, is an epic tale, set eleven thousand years ago, in ancient Africa.
A fiercely determined young princess named Zazi (Bokang Phelane) battles a world-ending prophecy to navigate her people through ancient curses, long-standing tribal vendettas, the wrath of the gods and her unexplainable role as the damning prophecy’s chief harbinger.
Actor Richard Lukunku stars as Senator Jabari, who is sent to the Akachi citadel from the mighty Great Nziwemabwe to attend the wedding of King Letsha (Mothusi Magano) but also to insist that the king give back the Northern Territories.
Although the two tribes are now at peace, Great Nziwemabwe will stop at nothing to take advantage of cracks in the Akachi kingdom.
Lukunku stars opposite Safta-nominee Zikhona Sodlaka, who plays his mistress Sithenjwa, who is returning to the Akachi citadel for revenge.
Lukunku described his role as interesting and compared his tribe, Great Nziwemabwe, as “Rome”.
“Great Nziwemabwe is like what Rome was, where Rome is the capital and the rest of the world are provinces of Rome. The southern provinces are at war and Senator Jabari is sent to come and ensure that everything runs well,” he said.
“It's an interesting role: you know that you've got the power of the kingdom behind you. If you don't like something, you're going to say what you're going to say. If you feel disrespected by the king, you're going to exercise the power that's being given to you.”
The 12-episode series is directed by award-winning filmmaker Jahmil XT Qubeka and Lukunku said his experience on set was amazing with the director offering him space to perform as authentically as possible.
He said Qubeka knew exactly how to represent Africa when he was writing the script.
“The representation is insane. A Xhosa character speaks Xhosa; a Zulu person speaks Zulu. The different African cultures are represented...He got it one hundred percent right.
“But it's not just a history lesson. It's a living, breathing world that mixes many styles and ideas. ‘Blood Psalms’ is authentic and also something much more. I can't wait for people to experience it,” explained Lukunku.
He said viewers should make sure they watch the show to experience an “insane level of creativity”.
"Everything on ‘Blood Psalms’ is looking amazing. It looks unbelievable; it feels real. You feel like you are there, at that time. It's just incredible.
“But that's what I expected from the best production company in South Africa right now, with the best producer and the best director. These guys are on another level, like an insane level of creativity.“
Watch the trailer below:
The first two episodes of “Blood Psalms” is streaming on Showmax with new episodes dropping every Wednesday until the end of November.