EXCLUSIVE: Razorman, a live-action feature based on the graphic novel series by writer-artist Bill Masuku, published by Kugali Media, is in development.
The Zimbabwe-set superhero project heralds from the filmmakers behind Netflix’s Heart of the Hunter and Disney’s Iwájú, and producers Kugali Media, former CAA agent David Neumann’s Newmation, and Alta Global Media.
The project will center on Lovemore, “a scrappy young mechanic in Harare who assumes the identity of the street vigilante known as Razorman. Armed with razor-sharp wit and makeshift weapons, he wages a dangerous one-man war against The Thirteenth — a ruthless and well-connected crime syndicate responsible for his father’s mysterious murder.”
According to the team, which sees franchise potential in the IP, the film will draw stylistically from dark, character-driven action-hero comics such as V for Vendetta and Spawn.
Mandala Dube is attached to direct. The South African is best known for directing Heart of the Hunter, an adaptation of Deon Meyer’s novel — which performed well on Netflix; and Silverton Siege, also for the streamer, which was inspired by the real-life 1980 bank siege that galvanized the Free Mandela movement.
Kurt Ellis, a South African novelist turned screenwriter, is attached to write. Ellis is the author of In the Midst of Wolves (Penguin Random House SA) and a writer on Netflix’s South African original series Blood Legacy.
Producers are Ziki Nelson, Emmy-nominated creator and co-founder of Kugali Media; David Neumann, Nelson’s manager and CEO of Newmation; and Steven Adams, Dube’s manager and CEO of Alta Global Media. Dube will also serve as an executive producer on the project.
Pan-African entertainment studio and publisher Kugali Media is co-founded by Ziki Nelson, Tolu Olowofoyeku, and Hamid Ibrahim. The company is best known as the creative force behind Disney’s Iwájú — Disney’s first-ever African animated series, currently streaming on Disney+, which earned three Emmy nominations at the third annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards in 2025. Kugali has a seven-book publishing deal under a joint venture with Disney Hyperion.
Newmation’s management roster includes Hugh Welchman (Loving Vincent), Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast), Anita Doron (The Breadwinner), and Jay Oliva (Twilight of the Gods). Alta Global Media’s producing credits include Netflix’s Rodney King and A Huey P Newton Story, both directed by Spike Lee. VFX EP credits include Avatar, Life Of Pi and Thor.
