New Mr Bones movie out this week
FRIDAY will mark the release of the third instalment in one of South Africa’s most iconic film series, the Leon Schuster hit, Mr Bones.
Mr Bones 3 – Son of Bones will open at cinemas nationwide.
In 2001, the first part of the slapstick comedy – made and set in South Africa – was released. It proved so popular that by 2008 a sequel followed.
Asgar Mahomed, the executive producer of Mr Bones 3 - Son of Bones, said the team had been working on the project for four years.
“The idea for this sequel came about when the production team had seen, over the years, how Alfred Ntombela’s popularity had grown in the South African market. Hence, we decided to write and produce the new movie, Mr Bones 3 – Son of Bones, with Alfred, who plays Shorty, as the lead character.”
Mahomed said he worked behind the scenes with the producers, marketing as well as the finance teams, to ensure the project was on track.
“I have worked on a number of local South African movies, English as well as Afrikaans, and that included a number of Leon Schuster movies.”
Mr Bones 3 – Son of Bones releases over the Easter weekend – which is synonymous with family time. Mahomed said the film was a perfect fit.
“The storyline of Mr Bones 3 – Son of Bones begins at the turn of the last century, when we witness, via flashback, the burying of the Kruger millions by two Boer soldiers. They then kill each other through idiotic greed, leaving the Kruger millions hidden in a graveyard in Kuvukiland.
“Ageing but unbeaten Bones tries unsuccessfully to pass on his wisdom to Mathambo, his short, incompetent, but at heart honest and independent son. At the same time, two unscrupulous oil diggers try to steal the treasures of Kuvukiland. It’s a funny story about courage and filial confusion. It’s light-hearted and a great way to spend 90 minutes.” Mahomed said the film would appeal to audiences of all ages.
“Older audiences know and love our two central characters – Mr Bones and his son Mathambo. In this film, we are joined by a host of new characters that bring delight, charm and even more comedic brilliance to the screen. Some of the new cast members include Tumi Morake, Sans Moonsamy, Daniel Janks and Sthandile Nkosi, whom audiences will be sure to enjoy.”
With the arts and entertainment sector having been impacted since the Covid-19 pandemic, Mahomed said local creatives deserved support.
“We have an abundance of talented actors, scriptwriters, directors and other crew members who bring absolute magic to the local entertainment industry. Not only do they deserve to have their work seen and appreciated, but we are all richer for their unique creations. Plus, there are many families whose livelihoods depend on this industry.”
From fan to cast
Moonsamy, an actor-director, plays Alvin.
“Who doesn’t love Mr Bones? I still remember when the first one came out, it looked so international, if that’s even a thing. Leon uses a comedy style that permeates across South Africa’s diversity. Basically, most of South Africa loves this crazy slapstick comedy style because you can let your hair back and just laugh.
“I think that as a team Leon Schuster and director Gray Hofmeyr, who by the way has directed most if not all of Leon’s films, understand the art of being silly and through this they find the inner kid in everybody. There is also a technical aspect to comedy and they know how to put scenes and funny sequences together. Lastly, their comedy is not complicated.”
Moonsamy said his character was a fast-talking opportunist.
“Technically, I am the bad guy but I am a bad, bad guy and my partner in crime is Jack. Together we try to find the hidden treasure and, of course, Bones and his son Mathambo try to thwart our efforts. This leads to one helluva crazy journey. I also am Mr Bones’ challenger in a game of the infamous ‘Gwarra Gwarra’. This is my favourite scene because I got to play golf and on the shoot I struck some clean hits that even impressed me.”
Moonsamy said the film was bound to be a hit for adults and kids alike.
“Let’s just say that this film has loads of Easter eggs in it, not literally, but there are lots of surprises. It’s just a funny film with lots of zany antics and typical Schuster humour. I have a troupe of kids so I use them as my guide and they just fall down laughing at the trailer, so I am certain this Easter will be a hoot at the cinemas.
“I think it’s overdue actually and the timing is just spot on with some normality now returning. It’s just the tonic for people to forget their troubles somewhat and just have a laugh.
“The adult audiences who remember Schuster won’t be disappointed. It’s got all the tricks they have gotten used to and obviously the newer, younger audiences will get pure joy.
“There was a young female medic, Zanele, on set who treated me for something small on day two of shooting, and she was raving about the brand and how much she loved Mr Bones. She was probably around five years old when the first one came out. So there is an entire audience that has grown up watching Mr Bones and I think they will be super excited for this film.”
He said personally, it was a great experience both as an actor and as a director.
“I got to learn some new comedy tricks and just had a blast with everyone on set. Apart from Leon, Alfred Ntombela is an absolute gem and probably one of the most-loved people in South Africa. But the rest of this cast, Tumi Morake, Jay Anstey and Daniel Janks were just so awesome in this.”
‘Mr Bones 3 – Son of Bones’ opens on Friday at all major cinemas.