Screenwriter and director Willem Grobler wrote the Netflix feature film HEART OF THE HUNTER directed by Mandla Dube. The film is co-written with Deon Meyer is based on Meyer’s international best-selling novel of the same name. It made history in April 2024 by becoming the first English language African film to top the worldwide Netflix charts. It was viewed 11 Million times in the first week, and was in the top 10 in 75 countries. Next up Willem is adapting Deon Meyer’s novel FEVER as a limited series, and Dibi Breytenbach’s novel BUIT as a feature and he is reuniting with director Mandla Dube to collaborate on a passion project.
Grobler’s award-winning short film HUM screened at festivals around the world, premiering internationally at the 2017 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival in New York, and in Europe at the 2018 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France.
Willem has written and directed a number of drama projects for local broadcaster M-Net including Christmas dramedy A BOERE-KRISMIS (2020) and Valentines Day romantic comedy OM EN OM (2023), SPOORLOOS (2018) and two seasons of the acclaimed South African true crime docuseries STRANGERS YOU KNOW (2021 – 2022). A feature length version of HUM is in development at M-Net with Willem adapting and directing.
A Durban Talents and Gotham Week alumnus, Willem is developing his original projects and is a writer and director for hire.
Represented by Aoife Lennon-Ritchie
