John Legend to portray Harry Belafonte in anti‑apartheid film ‘The Road Home’

US singer‑songwriter John Legend has been cast as civil‑rights activist Harry Belafonte in Bill Condon’s upcoming drama The Road Home. The film, produced by Studiocanal, began shooting in South Africa and follows the exile of South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela and singer Miriam Makeba, whose collaboration with Paul Simon’s 1986 Graceland tour sparked controversy over the United Nations cultural boycott of apartheid‑era South Africa.

Legend, an EGOT winner, said he was “honoured to know Mr Belafonte as a friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice,” adding that portraying him is “a privilege.” The ensemble cast includes Thabo Rametsi as Masekela, Cynthia Erivo as Makeba, Johnny Flynn as Simon and Guy Pearce as Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. The screenplay, written by Michael Bronner with South African writer Zakes Mda, draws on the music of Masekela, Makeba and Simon. A release date has not yet been announced.