Harry Potter star to ‘Escape from Pretoria’ next year
A movie about anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin’s escape from the Pretoria maximum security prison in 1979 will be made in SA next year starring Daniel Radcliffe
Cannes — Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in the epic story of a white anti-apartheid activist who escaped from one of SA’s toughest jails, the film’s producers said Friday. The breakout thriller, Escape From Pretoria, is based on Tim Jenkin’s account of his dramatic escape from the notorious Pretoria maximum security prison with his friend, Stephen Lee, in 1979. Jenkin, now 68, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for handing out leaflets supporting the then banned ANC. The following year he managed to make a set of wooden keys for a series of doors inside the jail, which housed the country’s death row. Using a device made from a broom handle and a mirror he had hidden in his cell, Jenkin opened his cell door and then freed his neighbour and friend Lee. Producer David Barron, who also worked on the Harry Potter films, said the movie of this "astonishing true story" would be "political without being polemical". "Escape From Pretoria is a rare combination of genre and...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.