A LOCAL film resuscitating the much-famed Gringo character is set to premiere on Wednesday next week in Harare in commemoration of the late comedian Lazarus Boora.
Starring the late comedian and (Gringo character) Lazarus’ son Taurai, The Return of Gringo will launch at Ster Kinekor Joina City, Cinema 4.
“The main positive in coming of this movie is passing on the legacy of the late Lazarus (Gringo senior) to the son Taurai (Gringo junior),” film director Chati Butao told EnterSportNews.
“The film is being developed by Enock Chihombori, the writer and creator of the popular Gringo character. The producer is Taurai,” he said.
The main cast also includes veteran actors William Matenga (Gweshe gweshe), Chati Butao (Godobori), Blessing Chimhowa (Mbudzi yadhura) and Nicola Carr (Nic).
The film launch will be a red-carpet event. Standard tickets are going for $10, VIP $20 and VVIP $50.
“The storyline is like a continuity of Gringo the Trouble Maker, but it now takes a new turn. My role is the same I had in Gringo the Trouble Maker (Godobori),” hints Butao.
“Gringo has been promised a good package by Mr Gweshe Gweshe if he gets married, so he decides to visit Godobori looking for juju that might help him fall in love with a girl he has always admired in his neighbourhood. That is when the drama begins.”
Lazarus passed on in 2020. He rose to stardom in 1997 when he began playing the leading (Gringo) role in the television drama series.
He again featured in all the succeeding series, such as Gringo Ndiani (2001), Gringo Mari Iripi (2003) and the film Gringo the Troublemaker (2013).
Butau said he feels very much honoured by the writer Chihombori for developing a script that has his role as Godobori again, as this shows that he has impressed well in the film Gringo the Trouble Maker.
“This is the second big-screen drama I have featured, although I had some other projects I did with the late Gringo from the early 1990s till the time of his death,” he recalled.
“The fans should expect good edutainment drama, just what they used to see during the heydays of the Gringo series.”
Butao lamented lack of financial support as most of the money used came from the producers’ pocket, making the production a shoestring budget movie.
