Production on the sequel to the hit 2010 South African film Spud began on 1 July, with British actor John Cleese returning to the role of eccentric English teacher “The Guv’.
Says producer Ross Garland: “Mr Cleese was very happy with the first film and from early on was keen to do Spud 2. In fact, at the end of his last day on set his parting words to the crew were “To the sequel!’ Two years later, we’re back again and ready to continue to build the legend of Spud.’
Spud 2 – The Madness Continues is produced by Rogue Star Films and BLM Productions, and is based on the second book in the popular Spud series by author John van de Ruit.
According to Garland, production will take place over five weeks, primarily in Cape Town and not at Michaelhouse school in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands where the first movie was shot.
“We’re shooting at SACS (South African College Schools) in Newlands, which provides a great backdrop to the world of Spud. We wanted to avoid travelling the whole crew and cast up to KZN for the whole shoot, so we are filming the interior wood-panelled dorm, classroom and other school scenes at SACS – the oldest school in the country.’
Garland notes that, while the first film was a “dramedy’, the second is more of an out and out comedy. “The central story is the battle between the housemaster Sparerib and the Crazy 8, who are trying to get each other kicked out of the school. Thematically Spud 2 is about rebellious teenagers, exploring that stage of a youngster’s life when you are reacting to authority and conformity.’
As with the first Spud movie, the screenplay is written by director Donovan Marsh, with the addition of some new comic material (not from the book) by Van de Ruit.
Troye Sivan returns in the role of Spud, along with what is left of the Crazy 8 – Sven Ruygrok as Rambo, Josh Goddard as Mad Dog, Tom Burne as Vern, Byron Langley as Simon, Travis Hornsby as Boggo and Blessing Xaba as Fatty.
“We’re two years down the line from the first film and the boys are now playing second year high school students. Some of them have shot up, but they all look about right for this rebellious stage of their teen years.
“We wanted there to be a jump from the coming of age world of the first film and that’s worked well with the two-year gap. The boys still look young enough that the new prefect characters look clearly older and more dominant,’ explains Garland.
In the new film viewers will be meeting the trio of mean prefects who terrorise Spud and friends.
“Jason Cope will also play a much larger role as Sparerib, the main antagonist who wants to get the boys expelled. There are also the new boys, the so-called Normal 7, played by a wonderful bunch of youngsters who get bullied by the Crazy 8,’ says Garland.
Other actors returning include Tanit Phoenix as Eve, Jeremy Crutchley as headmaster Mr Glockenshpeel and Aaron McIlroy and Julie Summers as Spud’s parents.
Behind the camera Lance Gewer (Tsotsi, Otelo Burning) is returning as director of photography, shooting on the RED Mysterium system.
Garland notes that the process of raising funds for the second film was, in some ways, quicker and easier. “However, closing finance on a film is always difficult. The financing plan for the film certainly has matured on the sequel, with a lot of distribution money in the film. That’s a very positive development, working closely with a substantial content player from the outset.
“The film is distributed and partially financed by Nu Metro Films. We are also using the Department of Trade and Industry rebate and Rogue Star Films’ slate funding from the National Film and Video Foundation. The gap is financed by a private consortium of Spud 1 investors and Collective Dream Studios.’
Garland adds that the first Spud movie – which will release in the UK and Ireland in the third quarter of 2012 – took R17m at the South African box office and was the Number 1 film at the box office during the December holidays in 2010, beating the seventh Harry Potter film.
It is also the Number 6 local film of all time at the South African box office.
The release of Spud 2 – The Madness Continues is provisionally set for June 2013.
By Linda Loubser
Screen Africa magazine – August 2012
