Cape Town - It was recently announced that South African-born Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo has been cast as the detective in the movie about the 2012 family murders in Griekwastad, North West.
Now producers of the film have revealed to YOU the name of the young actor who’ll be playing convicted murderer Don Steenkamp. He’s Alex van Dyk (16), a Grade 10 pupil at Durbanville High School, Cape Town.
Last year, Alex won critical acclaim for his performance as the tortured teen Pieter in the Afrikaans movie Die Stropers (The Harvesters'). The movie had also been nominated for awards at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Now his acting skills will be challenged with the role of 15-year-old Steenkamp who murdered his parents, Deon (44) and Christel (43), and sister, Marthella (14), on the family farm, Naauwhoek, in April 2012.
Don was found guilty of the killings in 2014.
"It feels unreal that all these things have happened to our family. At one point it felt like I was watching it play out in front of me like a movie," Marianna Smith, Deon’s sister, told the media at the time.
Now the shocking events will indeed become a film, which is due for release later this year. Filming will start on 6 May in Hopefield in the Western Cape – "out of respect for the people of Griekwastad", says Tim Theron, one of the producers.
Alex is looking forward to working with Arnold (56), he tells YOU.
"For sure! I’m extremely excited to work with him. It’s like a dream come true," Alex gushes. "I’ve seen many of his movies, including The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, GI Joe, Blood Diamond and Odysseus.
"I never imagined I’d be working with a Hollywood actor one day – and now it’s happening in a few weeks’ time."