In the upcoming action thriller G20, Viola Davis stars as United States President Danielle Sutton, who confronts a terrorist siege during a global summit in South Africa.
Set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 10 April, the film is directed by Patricia Riggen and features a cast including Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, and Antony Starr.
The plot centres around President Sutton attending the G20 summit in Cape Town, accompanied by her family.
BAD TIMING?
The movie lands a little close to home as South Africa is due to host the Group of Twenty summit (G20) in Johannesburg in November 2025.
The G20 is an international forum comprising both developed and developing nations, aimed at addressing global economic and financial challenges.
South Africans took to social media to voice their opinions on the G20 trailer.
“Honestly the timing of the release sucks! I wonder why release such a movie when it’s South Africa hosting the G20…..very deep messaging in all this,” one fan commented on X.
“Note that the G20 movie action takes place in Capetown South Africa. The bad guys are going to be Afrikaaners,” said another comment.
“This is truly propaganda. This year is the first time an African country is hosting the G20. And now we’re getting a movie to say South Africa is not safe. Coupled with all the other poppycock America has been saying about us. And we know the CIA… *loses signal*” said one comment.
“This is something to be wary about my fellow South Africans. The G20 is yet to happen, and this movie is going to be out, associating it with violence of ridiculous proportions and worst part, violence perpetuated by foreign powers,” another movie fan commented.
VIOLA DAVIS IS AT HOME IN SOUTH AFRICA
Production of G20 faced challenges due to industry-wide strikes in 2023. Despite receiving a waiver to continue filming, Davis chose to halt production in solidarity with her colleagues. Filming resumed in January 2024 in Cape Town and concluded by early March.
Davis is no stranger to South Africa.