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Naomi Watts in Nkosi Johnson film
Mon, 11 Jun 2007
Naomi Watts, 38, (Mulholland Dr, 21 Grams) is to play Gail Johnson in the film We Are All the Same, based on the book of the same name by Jim Wooten.
Johnson is the white South African who fostered Nkosi who died in 2001 of AIDS at age 12. Nkosi, an engaging and perceptive child, inspired millions in Africa and around the world when he addressed the International AIDS Conference in Durban in 2000.
Johnson told Screen Africa that Keir Pearson (co-scriptwriter of Hotel Rwanda) will visit South Africa for five days this month to meet her and get to know her better. Those who know Johnson, will tell you she is a larger than life personality, unconventional, loyal, unafraid and enjoys challenging society’s norms. “Keir is in for a shock,” joked Johnson when she relayed the news to Screen Africa.
The making of the film has been a long term project of producer Amy Moore who spent some years producing in South Africa but is now based in New York. Moore is also the producer of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which starts shooting n July in Botswana with director Anthony Minghella.
We Are All the Same was greenlighted when US real estate mogul, Andrew Meieran decided to back the movie. According to Variety, the financier has 10 projects in development at Bureau of Moving Pictures, the film arm he set up with Matt Tabak 18 months ago. The Johnson film is the furthest in development and "exemplifies what we want to do. We are looking for very intimate stories but with global reach," he told Vairety.
