New SA crime thriller Valhalla casts its leads

Cape Town – Erica Wessels and Hlubi Mboya Arnold have been cast in the lead roles for the upcoming Nthibah Pictures feature film.

The crime thriller with the working title Valhalla will be directed by Donovan Marsh.

“The lead characters of the film are strong, determined women facing a daunting challenge. Erica and Hlubi have both starred in diverse roles in other projects and we believe are the ideal actresses to lead the Valhalla cast,” says director Donovan Marsh.

“We conducted extensive auditions before the actresses for the lead roles were selected as the film’s theme, a crime drama, requires deep insight into the characters from both women. Strength and vulnerability that audiences will identify and sympathise with. There is a depth of talent in South Africa, which made the selection of the key roles especially difficult, but in the end the decision to select Erica and Hlubi was unanimous,” Marsh says.

Erica is a well-known actress and has been awarded for various stage roles since the start of her career as well as being widely recognised for her work in film and television. She is a household name for playing troubled twins in SABC's Erfsondes and Elle Fourie in Vloeksteen. Erica won KykNet Silwerskerm Festival award for best actress in 2017 for her role in Vlees van my Vlees.

Hlubi needs no introduction is best known for her role on the SABC3 soapie Isidingo. Her other TV projects include: Mfolosi Street, It's Complicated, Jacobs Cross and she can be seen on the new SABC3 drama, The Docket. She previously worked with Marsh on his acclaimed film, iNumber Number.

The actresses are currently preparing for their roles in Valhalla, which includes training with personal trainers in preparation for many physically demanding scenes, as shooting is set to start late October.

(Photos: Gallo Images)