“My name is Bennie Griessel and I am an alcoholic.”
This very Bennie Griessel was initially a background player in Deon Meyer’s first books, but in 2004, with the appearance of Infanta took his place in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Bennie has become one of the most popular characters in Afrikaans literature. This legendary detective-inspector of the Serious and Violent Crime Unit in Cape Town with all his mistakes, fallibility and his eternal battle against the drink devil has crept deep under readers’ skin.
Infanta ‘s English translation came out in 2007 with the title, Devil’s Peakappears, and soon this crime thriller will get new life when a TV series of the same name makes its debut on M-Net.
The air date for the series is yet to be confirmed.
“I am delighted and very proud to finally see how Bennie’s world also comes to life on screen. It’s all thanks to a brilliant and talented local and international team,” says Deon, one of South Africa’s most internationally successful writers.
His books have already been translated into more than 20 languages and he is a bestseller worldwide. He has also received several awards, both local and international, for his work.
M-Net has just shared screen grabs from the series, which consists of five episodes, with viewers. If your interest hasn’t been piqued yet, these loopers should give it a good boost.
“M-Net is proud to bring viewers a world-class series with its roots firmly planted in South Africa. This is a story that can only take place in South Africa, where the dark criminal underworld bursts the bubble of those looking for security and comfort on an almost daily basis,” says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director: Premium channels.
According to Waldimar, Cape Town’s picturesque beauty is depicted in the series. He goes on to say that the story is as much a depiction of Benny’s struggle against the devils out there as the devils inside him, and his search for justice for others and redemption for himself.
“It is also the story of a father who will do anything to avenge the death of his son. Not all deaths are mourned equally, the story suggests. We hope Devil’s Peak is going to be a series that makes it impossible to look away,” adds Waldimar.
In Devil’s Peak is Bennie, played by Hilton Pelser, on the trail of a vigilante killer whose crimes capture the imagination of the public. However, the closer Benny gets to the identity of the killer, the more he is drawn into a dark and dangerous world where nothing is as it seems.
Other actors in the cast are Sisanda Henna, Tarryn Wyngaard, Albert Pretorius, Gérard Rudolf, Shamilla Miller and Masasa Mbangeni. The director is Jozua Malherbe and the series was produced by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Production. It was made in association with MultiChoice Studios and BBC Studios Distribution. BBC Studios, owners of Lookout Point, will market the series internationally.
Devil’s Peak follows in the footsteps of other local series from the M-Net stable that have made viewers sit up in the past few years. Just think of series like Legacy, The Wife, Reyka and Trackerswith the latter also based on one of Meyer’s books.
