Leading the way in the month of May is Nigerian Idol: Countdown to Showtime, showing first and only on Showmax which takes viewers behind the scenes of the singing contest, Nigerian Idol.
From award-winning local shows to beloved international classics, here’s all the exciting content coming to Showmax in May.
BEST OF LOCAL
Nigerian Idol: Countdown to Showtime | May 13
Fans of Nigerian Idol are in for a treat as Showmax launches Nigerian Idol: Countdown to Showtime, a weekly show which takes viewers behind the scenes of the singing contest. From rehearsals to the competition among contestants, viewers get exclusive content on the drama that goes on after the contestants get off stage.
New episodes will be available for streaming exclusively on Showmax every Tuesday from May 13.
The Johnsons S10 | May 10
AMVCA award-winning family sitcom The Johnsons is back for its 10th season. Keep up with the hilarious antics of the first family of Lagos as they navigate new challenges.
New episodes of The Johnsons will drop on Showmax at the same time as Africa Magic every weeknight.
Tinsel S14 | May 20
Nigeria’s longest-running show is back for a record 14th season. Set in the glamorous and fast-paced world of filmmaking, this weekday-night series follows two rival film production houses in a fierce battle for box-office dominance.
Stream the latest episodes of Tinsel on Showmax every weekday night as soon as they air on Africa Magic.
BEST OF AFRICA
Life With Kelly Khumalo S2 | May 13
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Catch the second season of South African Showmax Original, Life With Kelly Khumalo following the success of its first season, which became the fastest Showmax Original to hit one million views and earned a South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) nomination for Best Soap Structured Reality TV Show.
The reality show follows award-winning South African artiste, Kelly Khumalo, who, among other accolades, opened for Grammy-winning rapper Missy Elliot and has sold millions of albums. Kelly has also been at the centre of several controversies, including her turbulent relationship with her son’s father, hip-hop star Jub Jub; conspiracy theories surrounding the death of her daughter’s father, Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa; and her ‘divorce’ from her sister, Zandie.
While season one saw Kelly address these issues and more, the second season of the show is expected to focus on Kelly starting to date again, and the return of her mother, Ntombi Khumalo.
Gomora S2 | New episodes
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Gomora is back for a new season. Season one of the show centred around Thathi, a hotshot Sandton socialite who managed to escape from her lowly, humble township roots and makes it big only to return to her humble roots following a series of events.
The story continues in season two which started on 26 April 2021 with a court case that sees the stars of the series at odds with each other.
Skemerdans | Binge now
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Another Showmax Original, Skemerdans is a Cape Flats neo-noir murder mystery set at the Oasis jazz club, the centre of a power struggle between two brothers, a scorned widow and an organised crime syndicate.
Rendered in a mix of Afrikaans and English, all 13 episodes of Skemerdans are available for binging.
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
The Luminaries | May 14
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Based on Eleanor Cattin’s Booker Prize-winning novel, The Luminaries is an epic story of love, murder and revenge set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand during the gold rush.
Starring Eve Hewson (The Knick), Teen Choice nominee Himesh Patel (Yesterday) and Golden Globe nominee Eva Green (Penny Dreadful), the six-part series was hailed by TIME as “enchanting, enthralling” and The Guardian as “simply addictive TV… glorious escapism… a must-see full of intrigue, opium and political machinations.”
Warrior S2 | Binge now
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Shot in South Africa, Warrior is set in the ruthless world of late 19th century San Francisco, where rival Chinatown tongs fight for dominance amidst the growing anti-Chinese fervour that threatens to destroy them all.
“Warrior feels like if Peaky Blinders starred Bruce Lee and was set in 1870s Chinatown. It’s great,” says Vox. Season 1 was named among Rolling Stone’s Best New Television Shows of 2019.
Recently renewed for a third season, Warrior is based on the writings of martial arts icon Bruce Lee. The series is created by Jonathan Tropper (Banshee).
A Confession | Binge now
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Directed by BAFTA winner Broadchurch director Paul Andrew Williams, the six-episode miniseries has a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus calling it “gripping.”
Nominated for a 2020 BAFTA in the miniseries category, A Confession stars Golden Globe nominee Martin Freeman (The Lord of The Rings), Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton (The Crown), and BAFTA nominee Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey), with supporting actor Joe Absolom (The Bay, Doc Martin), who nabbed the show’s second BAFTA nomination last year.
Mr Mayor | Binge now
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In Mr. Mayor, three-time Golden Globe winner Ted Danson (The Good Place) plays a wealthy businessman who becomes the mayor of Los Angeles.
Co-created by two-time Golden Globe winner Tina Fey and three-time Emmy winner Robert Carlock, the minds behind Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the comedy also stars Oscar winner Holly Hunter (The Piano), and Saturday Night Live legend Bobby Moynihan. Also look out for guest stars like TV personality Chrissy Teigen.
“Danson takes the spotlight and shines once again, playing a character who’s clearly delighted by the job he ran for, and won, on a whim,” says NPR.
INTERNATIONAL MOVIES
Birds of Prey
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The tenth biggest box office hit of 2020 globally, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only she can tell it. After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.
Birds of Prey was Rotten Tomatoes’ best-reviewed comic book and graphic novel film adaptation last year, and one of its 10 best-reviewed wide-release films overall. Nominated for four People’s Choice Awards, including Favourite Movie, Birds of Prey won 10 awards.
In their four-star review, The Observer hailed Birds of Prey as “the movie equivalent of a fairground ride with all the bolts loosened and the safety booklet blazed long ago when someone ran out of Rizlas.”
IT: Chapter Two
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Twenty-seven years after their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the members of the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.
Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar) stars as the adult Beverly Marsh and James McAvoy (His Dark Materials) plays Bill Denbrough. Bill Hader (Barry) received four awards nominations for his role as the adult Richie Tozier, while Bill Skarsgård (Castle Rock) returns in his Teen Choice-nominated role as Pennywise.
Empire Magazine calls it, “A psychologically merciless sequel,” saying, “everything here is as it should be: deeper, scarier, funnier. …. It is obscenely entertaining.”
Harry Potter collection | May 13
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If you’ve been looking for a chance to binge all the Harry Potter movies, it’s finally here.
Binge the complete Harry Potter box set with all eight epic movies of the multiple Oscar-nominated fantasy saga: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Pt1, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Pt2.
Together, the Harry Potter movies are the third highest-grossing film franchise of all time, with a global gross of over $7.7 billion. On the small screen, it still holds the record for the most-watched franchise in TV history, with over 1.3 billion viewings to date.
The King of Staten Island | May 20
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Coming-of-age dramedy The King of Staten Island is directed by Judd Apatow (This is 40), who co-wrote and produced alongside star Pete Davidson (Big Time Adolescence and the upcoming The Suicide Squad).
Pete stars as Scott, who’s been a case of arrested development since his firefighter dad died. He spends his days smoking weed and dreaming of being a tattoo artist until events force him to grapple with his grief and take his first steps forward in life. Pete, whose own father was a New York firefighter who died in the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11, was nominated for a 2020 People’s Choice Award for his starring role.
The King of Staten Island was nominated for the 2021 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy, as well as last year’s People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Comedy Movie. “The content can be raw, sometimes startling,” says Wall Street Journal, “but before and after everything else the film is hilarious, and constitutes a cockeyed pantheon of comic performances. On top of that, it is beautiful.”
The Goldfinch | May 6
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The Goldfinch is the film adaptation of Donna Tartt’s bestselling, Pulitzer-winning novel about a 13-year-old boy whose mother is killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Directed by BAFTA-winner John Crowley (Brooklyn), the cast is led by Golden Globe nominee Ansel Elgort (The Fault In Our Stars) as Theo Decker and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (The Undoing) as Mrs Barbour, supported by Sarah Paulson (American Crime Story) and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld).
Cut Throat City |
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Set after Hurricane Katrina, Cut Throat City sees four boyhood friends who are out of options reluctantly accept an offer to pull off a dangerous heist in the heart of New Orleans.
Chicago Sun-Times praised its “vibrant, rough-edged, impressive storytelling” and FilmWeek its “rich sense of place and an incredible cast of supporting actors.”
It’s directed by Emmy, BAFTA and Black Reel-nominated actor, filmmaker and rapper RZA (of Wu Tang Clan fame) and stars Shameik Moore (The Get Down), Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther), Demetrius Shipp Jr. (All Eyez on Me), and Keean Johnson (Euphoria) alongside Ethan Hawke, Terrence Howard, rapper T.I and Wesley Snipes.
The Matrix Collection | May 31
Ahead of the upcoming fourth instalment’s release, binge the classic sci-fi action trilogy, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions, which made pop culture icons of Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving. Written, directed and produced by the Wachowskis, The Matrix won four Oscars.
