Moonlighting in the ring with 'Ali'

The company was commissioned by Sony Pictures to act as its African production partner in the recreation of the now infamous "Rumble in the Jungle" which was shot on location in Maputo and Ghana.

Moonlighting’s Film Division was tasked with the enormous job of coordinating the complex logistics of the shoot, recruiting South African and Mozambiçan crew and securing local actors to work alongside Oscar-nominated Will Smith.

Although less than a quarter of "Ali" was shot in Africa, pre-production on this segment of the film lasted 10 months. According to Genevieve Hofmeyr, Producer at Moonlighting Films, the making of "Ali" in Maputo was challenging because of the lack of an established film infrastructure in the Mozambiçan capital. As a result almost all of the equipment, costumes and props had to be sourced in South Africa and transported across the border. Hofmeyr adds that some of the scenes, such as the stadium showdown between Ali and George Foreman, required 25 000 extras to be positioned in the stadium and cardboard cut-outs placed amongst them to create the illusion of the presence of tens of thousands. According to Hofmeyr, the greatest challenge in the making of "Ali" was managing people from different backgrounds and cultures to work effectively together to complete shooting within the limited timeframe.

Moonlighting’s CEO, Philip Key attributes the company’s success in servicing this film, which is the most expensive ever to be made in Southern Africa, to a dedicated and professional team of filmmakers who worked tirelessly under difficult conditions to meet the high standards of Sony Pictures.

Key recounts his conversation with Michael Mann at "Ali’s" premier last week during which the director told him that should he shoot again in Southern Africa he will bring in fewer foreign crew because of the excellent standards he found here. This is good news for South Africa’s film industry which has been boosted in recent years by increasing interest from foreign film makers who shoot here because of competitive costs, exotic locations and the country’s sophisticated film infrastructure.

"Ali" is Moonlighting’s third studio picture and is followed this year by two other feature films, which the company is producing in Namibia under contract of major US studios. The company has just confirmed another feature film for the United Kingdom, which will be shot in Johannesburg in August. Philip Key is optimistic about the future of the film industry in South Africa. He says, "By harnessing the energy, knowledge and experience of the world’s best filmmakers, South Africans can learn a lot about what it takes to make a great film".