Charlize's company name nicked

2006-05-17 09:02

Eagan Williamson

If Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron had any aspirations of registering her American film production company in South Africa, she's missed her chance.

A young Centurion entrepreneur recently registered Theron's Denver and Delilah Films in South Africa under his own name.

Shene Stewart, who is also co-owner and editor of gay newspaper The Closet, plans to produce the country's first gay soap opera under the production company's name.

'I just had to seize the opportunity'

Stewart said he heard a recent television interview in which Theron spoke of her plans to bring her production company, named after her two dogs, to South Africa to support the local film industry.

''I know it looks like I did it on purpose, but I just had to seize the opportunity and steal a march on her. Just think what the name could mean for my planned business,'' Stewart said.

His accountants on Tuesday confirmed the name had been registered.

Theron should have registered the name first

Steward said Theron was a smart enough businesswoman, and should first have registered the name here before she ''blithely blurted out her plans''.

He said he had tried to contact Theron in the USA about his plans, but got no response.

Stewart is busy collecting information on setting up his production company.

Gay needs not catered for

''In any case I think it's high time that gay people's needs should be catered for in the local television and film world.''

Stewart said he thought the gay characters appearing in soaps such as Egoli were not true to the way gay people really are.

''The time has come to do justice to gays in the local entertainment world and my Denver and Delilah Films will do just that,'' he said.

- Beeld