Subterranea: Foi Wambui, Melvin Alusa Feature In Kenya's First Sci-Fi Series

• Top actors, among them Melvin Alusa and Foi Wambui, will be in Kenya's first sci-fi series, which will drop on September 26
• The producer of the series, Brian Munene, told TUKO.co.ke that the show seeks to highlight more Kenyan stories that are hardly told
• He added that the sci-fi series will focus on thematic issues like family, mental health and other issues like postpartum in men

Kenya's first Sci-Fi series, Subterranea, is set to premiere and will feature top local talents.

During the series screening, the producer, Brian Munene, noted that the world is shifting to a more Africa-centric type of storytelling, which has created room for such movies to be produced.

Who are the actors in Subterranea

The new series features Melvin Alusa, Foi Wambui, Philippa Ndisi-Herrman, Makena Kahuha, Biko Nyongesa, Pauline Komu, and Chintu Chudasama.

Munene, in an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke said:

"The bolder we are, the better it will be for our industry and for attracting international filmmakers to our community. For a long time, we've been confined to family dramas and telenovelas. I think it's time we broke out and told different stories. We were asking ourselves what stories we'd like to see and we went on the news and read some of the stuff happening in Kenya. There are a lot of suicides, murders, cults sprung up, postpartum in men - is a conversation people are not having, and addiction. All these are in the show."

What is Subterranea about

The sci-fi series is about eight participants trapped in an underground bunker. It explores themes such as family, mental health, and less commonly discussed topics like post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We had a very rigorous audition process, and we did call back a lot of actors who came together and did scenes with each other, so they started interacting from the gate go. The fact that we have very different characters from different backgrounds and actors is the same - when you needed them to be overpowering and when needed to be meek, they were. Everyone really loved the story and wanted to make this work, so they created harmony amongst the team," added Munene.

Subterranea will air on September 26 exclusively on Showmax.

Showmax drops another reality series

The streaming company recently launched another local reality series dubbed NaiRich, focusing on five wealthy celebrities.

Socialites Amber Ray, Risper Faith and singer KRG The Don are among the celebrities featured in the reality series.

The show's producer, Sammy Dee, noted that the show highlights unique culture and diverse personalities that make Nairobi a fascinating place.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.