Karate Kallie in production

Executive producer Charl Groenewald says virtually the entire team responsible for the original Tshwane University of Technology production of Karate Kallie has been assembled for the feature film.

Produced by Pia van Rensburg, writer/director Wimpie van der Merwe is at the helm once again. The original cast of Wynand van Vollenstee (Kallie); Mike Smuts as his brother, Mike; Leani Lerm playing his love interest, Annetjie; and Petrus Harmse in the role of bully Fritz (‘Gee my jou brood of ek skop jou dood') is supplemented with several seasoned actors including Marga van Rooy, Ben Kruger, Henrietta Gryffenberg and Richard van der Westhuizen.

Newcomers Solomon Cupido and the feisty Carmilla Mosavel will also feature in the movie.

“We've received tremendous support from a range of people in putting this production together. Puma Video, a well-known film equipment rental company, for example, is providing state-of-the-art equipment to us at exceptionally competitive rates,” Groenewald adds.

So what's it about? It addresses that age-old high school nightmare of not fitting in. For tubby Kallie, however, it gets even worse because he's starting at a new school where he not only won't fit in either, but he also becomes the target of the resident school bully who is probably certifiably psychotic.

And it gets worse. Kallie falls for the bully's sister, placing him in a frightful dilemma: either give up on the girl of his dreams, or take on the tormentor who stands in the way of true love.

As always, Kallie is assisted in his valiant efforts by his brother, Kung Fu aficionado and tow-truck extraordinaire, Mike, as well as by his new friend, the (equally) socially inept, Airhole.

Mike is determined to transform Kallie into a lethal human killing machine and although his efforts are ill-conceived to say the least, his persistence and affection are admirable. Of course, their doting mother supports him every painfully hilarious step of the way.

Karate Kallie will be distributed next year by Ster-Kinekor Distribution