Netflix's Supacell is about to change the game

Wormholes, spectacular visual effects and Avirex jackets as far as the eye can see. No, it's not Marvel. We're behind the scenes of Netflix's new superhero epic, “Supacell.” It's a slice of London life that gives us super-powered heroes like we've never seen before. And it’s the work of Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu, from Peckham.

“Supacell” is far from the guerrilla style of the rapper, writer and filmmaker Shiro's story'. This eye-catching YouTube short signaled the arrival of a significant new talent in 2018. If the upbeat Londoner has anything to do with it, there's still a long way to go.

“I know the levels are higher than anything we've seen in the UK,” Rapman says of his new superhero series. 'I'm going big! I put everything into it and I hope to get it all back: the accolades, the numbers, the critical acclaim. I want it all.'

He stays true to his roots, which is why I'm speaking to him on a freezing November day on set in Hounslow and not, say, Hawaii. Like “Shiro's Story” and his headline-grabbing debut feature film “Blue Story” — another urban drama that, in a unique way, featured a Greek rap choir — “Supacell” takes place on the streets and estates of Deptford and Peckham, its former territory. “Top Boy” meets “X-Men”? Maybe.

Super civilians

“Supacell” follows five residents of South London who mysteriously acquire superpowers and find their world turned upside down. For drug dealer Rodney (Calvin Demba), super speed solves his distribution problems, but for newly hired delivery driver Michael (Tosin Cole), time travel alone won't be enough to save his girlfriend's love. his life. Then there's telekinetic Sabrina (Nadine Mills), strongman Andre (Eric-Kofi Abrefa), and Tazer (Josh Tedeku), a teenage gang leader with the power of invisibility.

It is much more than a typical neighborhood story

It’s a fitting next step for a man whose nickname could have come straight out of a comic book. Instead of flying around Metropolis in brightly colored leotards, you’ll find Rapman’s superheroes at Daphanie’s Taste of the Caribbean restaurant on Peckham High Street.

Although on this particular filming day, a freezing night in November 2022, Hounslow stands in for South London. And the only thing preventing hypothermia are the bright flames emanating from the propeller cannons as the crew prepares for the next action-packed setup.

Mo' powers, Mo' problems

“Supacell,” however, is not just the “Peckham Black Panther.” Rapman wants to make this clear from the start.

“Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Captain America… there are so many stories about people gaining superpowers and using them to save the world,” he says, “but I wanted to tell a story about that. what it would look like when people like we get powers.

What would it look like when people like us got powers?

Filtering the familiar superhero origin story through a more realistic lens of race and social status is the name of the game. In fact look like? “Black people already go through life with an extra layer of scrutiny and judgment,” Rapman says. “As much as having powers is amazing, it would also attract more unwanted attention.”

So there is no Thanos to defeat here; no gloves to protect. “Instead of defeating an intergalactic supervillain, these heroes use their powers for more relevant purposes,” says Rapman. “One of the characters uses his powers to save the love of his life, another is trying to keep his son safe. As a father, I can understand that.

Putting the South first

As a teenager, Rapman spent his downtime in his Deptford neighborhood, formative years that saw him shape his style of oral storytelling. He found his voice in 2019's “Blue Story,” a unique blend of London gang thriller and Greek tragedy.

“They say you should write about what you know – and I know South London,” he laughs. “I have never lived anywhere else and I still live there today. I know the energies, the personalities and the surroundings – and they know me. They remember how I used to run around these streets when I was little and now I'm filming a big show there. »

They say write what you know – and I know South London

In his first versions, Supacell's characters were going to represent different areas of London. Then director of Netflix Anne Mensah stepped in with a keynote speech. “She wanted everything in the South,” he recalled. “I said, ‘No problem! Let’s throw all the Morleys we can.’”

For its star, Tosin Cole, it meant everything to be back on home turf. “Filming in south London was just perfect, bro,” he smiles. “I literally saw cousins ​​and family members walking by.” The actor, who returned to London from New York at the age of eight, was filming in his old haunts: Deptford High Street, Thamesmead and Peckham. “We've done so much about this [Thamesmead] striptease: we hooked up the girls there, the mandem relaxed there in the neighborhood, we rode bikes, played ball and all kinds of things. All of this made me step back and say: we've come a long way!'

Risky business

Unlike his previous self-funded projects, Rapman is spending someone else's money this time around – a lot more – and he's aware of the risk involved in trying something new.

“The world is obsessed with London street culture,” he notes, “and if I had followed the same model as “Best boy“If I could have made a film with my previous films, I would have been sure to win. Not to mention that the budget would have been much lower. Pyrotechnic effects, stunt coordinators and computer-generated images are not cheap,” he says, pointing to the climactic scene taking shape on set.

“But I don’t want people to see ‘Supacell’ that way. It's based on the neighborhood, but it's more than just a typical neighborhood story.

For us, by us

You might assume that Rapman's black superhero inspiration came from the viral Twitter joke that Black people will get superpowers on December 21, 2020. That's not the case, Rapman says. “It was fun to write a story on the same subject. For me, it was a sign that “Supacell” needs to come out to the world. »

And the Londoner is convinced that the world will be ready to welcome his vision. “There’s no point in taking a chance if you’re not going to swing hard,” he says, name-checking Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and “Ozark” when I ask him what his hopes are for “Supacell.” .

“I am the first black man to write, direct and run his own show on Netflix. The first,” he said, “and I will not be the last.

Supacell is on Netflix worldwide on June 27.

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