South African extreme sports action drama Spinners returns for a second season, bringing back the creators, writers and cast of the hit Cape Town-set drama.
Co-produced by African streaming services Showmax and Canal+, ‘Spinners’ Season 2 was shot on location in South Africa with showrunner and co-creator Benjamin Hoffman. Sitting back in the director’s chair is Jaco Bower, whose credits include the SXSW award-winning eco-horror film “Gaia.” Season 2 writers Matthew Janks and Sean Steinberg also return.
Joachim Landau will once again produce the gritty crime drama for the MENA, with co-producer Ramadan Suleman (Zulu Love Letters) through his South African full-service company Natives at Large.
Studiocanal, whose sister company Canal+ commissioned the series, has released a first look at season two for Mipcom. The show showcases the creative synergy between the French television group and Showtime, the streaming service of pan-African pay-TV operator MultiChoice, which is now wholly owned by Canal+ and operates in 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The first season of “Spinners” made history as the first African show to enter the main competition of the Cannes Series in 2023, and went on to win awards at the Dakar Series and Shanghai Television Festival, as well as three nominations at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA).
The first season follows 17-year-old Ethan (Cantona James) as he seeks a way out of the bloody cycle of Southside gang violence through spinning, a South African extreme motorsport in which drivers perform daredevil stunts. Season 2 is set two years later, when Ethan and his friends escape the violent clutches of a gang and become spinning stars in the metropolis. “Fame, love, and happiness finally seem within reach, but their peace is shattered by a brutal ambush staged by Ethan’s old gang. Desperate, Ethan seeks help from the Maseko clan, but protecting them comes at a heavy price,” the synopsis reads.
Cantona James and Chelsea Thomas will reprise their lead roles, as well as Brendon Daniels, who co-starred with Natalie Dormer in “White Lies,” and local star Dillon Windfogel (“Blood & Water”). Cameo appearances include top female spinner Kayla Oliphant, who was recently featured in the National Geographic series “David Blaine: Don’t Attempt.”
“Spinners” Season 2 will also see new cast members joining the cast, including Clementine Mosimane (“How to Ruin Christmas”), Mondli Makoba (“Shaka Ilembe”), rising star Luyanda Zwane (“Sibongile and Dlaminis”) and Aphiwe Mukefe (“Nkuleko”).
The production of “Spinners” Season 2 reflects Canal+’s ambition to increase its pipeline of Canal+ original series in Africa to eight shows a year from across Africa.
Since 2018, Canal+ has produced 35 Canal+ series in 11 African countries, featuring African talent. These include “Invisibles”, “Agent”, “Cacao”, “Miami Wata”, “Eki”, “Or Blanc”, “Niabra”, “Eus”, and “La Quentin”.
