
Grade 11 learner to star in Showmax's Spooksoeker adaptation
Rico Immelman, a 17-year-old grade 11 learner at Noordheuwel High School in Krugersdorp in Gauteng, has landed his first leading role in a TV series.
Rico will star as Warno Alberts in the Showmax Original teen series Spooksoeker, based on the bestselling books by multi-award winner François Bloemhof.
When Warno Alberts turns 15, he suddenly becomes aware of ghosts in his dorpie - and that it’s now his job to banish them.

The casting announcement comes as Rico attends the 60th ATKV Tienertoneel, the Afrikaans high school theatre competition taking place in Cape Town this week.
Rico is one of the finalists in the ATKV-DigiToneel competition, in which high school students get the opportunity to develop their game for the camera by filming monologues.
As part of this, he’ll also appear in the fourth season of ATKV’s acting reality series, Gekies vir die Kollig, which airs on DStv (VIA, channel 147) from mid-October.
“I've always taken part in eisteddfods – in fact, I've taken part in every single thing possible, and I've always, for as long as I can remember, just wanted to be on stage,” says Rico, who signed up with an acting agency, Talent-ETC, in Grade 6 and has already appeared in David Kau’s The First Last Tour, the Silwerskerm short film Bennie Bingo, the kykNET Storiefilm Die Fantastiese Verdwyning Van Charlie Prins, and as the young Kalla in 7de Laan.

Rico was nominated for Best Actor at last year’s ATKV Tienertoneel, with his play in the top 5. In Spooksoeker, he’ll be starring opposite the Best Actor winner, Paul Strydom, who plays Warno’s older brother Ziaan. Paul, now 19, matriculated from Parel Vallei High School last year.
While details are still under wraps, Rico and Paul will be supported by a stacked cast that includes multiple SAFTA and Silwerskerm winners - some as ghosts… “It’s people I dreamed of working with, people I watched on TV as a little boy and said, ‘Gee, I want to work with her one day…’”
He uses Izel Bezuidenhout as his example. “I watched Agent 2000 when it came out; I think I was about 11 years old, in Grade 5. So on Spooksoeker, I was literally acting opposite my childhood crush!” he says, laughing.
The Starscape Motion Pictures production team has assembled an equally star-studded lineup behind the camera, including director Jan-Hendrik Burger (Edik van Nantes), SXSW Zeiss Cinematography Award winner Jorrie van der Walt (Gaia), SAFTA-winning composer Daniel Eppel (Steinheist), and SAFTA winners Franci van den Heeven (Fynskrif, Die Byl) and Pippa Heimann (Suidooster) on production and wardrobe design respectively.
The VFX will be handled by Fox and Wizard, led by Jonathan Alenskas, who was nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award for his work on Warrior and has contributed effects to the likes of Plan B, The Gilded Age, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and the Venice Film Festival Audience Award winner Blue Jean.
The scale of the production came as a shock to Rico, especially the stunt work. “We had people jumping off bridges; I did not expect that at all,” says Rico. “Also just the quality of the filming and the production team's work, how everyone works so well together. I was dumbfounded.”
Rico found his character very relatable. “Warno is someone who cares a lot about the people around him. He is really afraid of hurting them – emotionally or physically. Throughout the series, many people want to hurt Warno, but he only wants to protect everyone around him. But the way he tries to do it actually puts everyone in more danger. So, by doing what he thinks is right, and what he thinks will protect his family and friends, he sometimes makes the situation worse.
“I would say I am just like Warno. I care a lot about the people around me and I always try to do the right thing, but sometimes life throws you down and you struggle to get back up. But a good value that Warno has is that no matter how many times he gets knocked down, he doesn't give up. In the middle of the season, there is a part where Warno really almost gives up and he doesn't know what to do next, but then he just gets back on the horse. And I feel this is a good value that I can also implement in my life.”
Now that Spooksoeker has wrapped, Rico’s focus will be catching up on his schoolwork. When asked about his future goals, he says, “First of all, I’m just going to finish matric!”
Spooksoeker won’t be Rico’s last leading role though. “I definitely want to stay in the industry, work more and create more magic on stage and in front of the camera,” says Rico, who started the year competing in his age group at the world championships for double mini-trampoline gymnastics. “I still don't know if I want to study, but I know that I want to be in front of a camera and on stage forever.”
Spooksoeker is expected to launch on Showmax in December 2024.
More like this

MobLand S1
Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan propel this gripping, gritty crime drama series that follows two powerful families engaged in an intense power struggle.
Big mobs, small jobs: 10 crime series to stream on Showmax
Not everybody can be the Godfather. From MobLand to The Cleaning Lady to Gangs of London, we look at 11 small but essential jobs that take care of the organising behind organised crime.

Must-watch trailer: The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa brings together Housewives from across the continent, landing on Showmax on 28 November 2025.

The Real Housewives of Potomac S9-10
The reality series follows several well-to-do women who live in a community of rolling hills and gated mansions in Potomac.

From The Office to The Paper
As The Office’s OG documentary crew gets a new business in their crosshairs, we expose the connections between these two workplace mockumentaries.

Dexter's deadly to-do list in Dexter: Resurrection
Dexter’s son Harrison “killed” him in the finale of Dexter: New Blood. But he’s back from the dead and on a mission: tie up loose ends.

Clementine Mosimane, Mondli Makhoba and Luyanda Zwane join Spinners S2
Clementine Mosimane, Mondli Makhoba and Luyanda Zwane join the cast of Spinners for Season 2, coming to CANAL+ platforms, DStv and Showmax.

Inside spy movie Black Bag
Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp give us a top-secret peek inside their new spy movie Black Bag.
Laugh Africa Comedy Festival S2 on Showmax
Youngins S3, coming soon to Showmax
More Showmax Originals you'll love

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa brings together unforgettable Housewives from across the continent. Lands 28 November on Showmax.

Must-watch trailer: The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa brings together Housewives from across the continent, landing on Showmax on 28 November 2025.

IdeaCandy docuseries Unspoken War looks to start a national conversation
Unspoken War lands on Showmax in full on 12 November 2025, and on M-Net weekly on Wednesdays from 12 November. Produced by iEmmy nominees IdeaCandy.

Unspoken War
Six-part docuseries Unspoken War, produced by IdeaCandy, lands on Showmax and M-Net on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.
Latest Stories

Bafana Bafana composed for Durban showdown against Zimbabwe

Arsenal and Liverpool early front-runners ahead of Premier League international break

Married at First Sight's Portia Baloyi on the reunion and her ex
Must-watch trailer: Slay Queens doccie coming to Showmax

The Premier League canvas: a Saturday masterpiece painted in blue and red

Relebogile Mabotja to host the two-hour Married at First Sight reunion special

South Africa in third place at International Emmys, with four MultiChoice nominations

What to watch on Showmax in October 2025

The clash of the new number 9s: Gyökeres vs Woltemade

Married at First Sight: Themba on his "stunning" wife Nelisa

June Squibb wins Best Actress award at age 95 for Thelma

Red vs Blue: Showmax Premier League serves up a blockbuster weekend

Blockbuster Premier League weekend: Red vs Blue

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr chat about Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

Where to see the cast of Levels on Showmax

From doubt to dynamo: Micky van de Ven's rise at Tottenham

Mhlongo's bold prediction: Pirates to clinch MTN8 Title for a fourth year running

Glory awaits: From MTN8 Kings to Manchester's Crown, football's biggest stage is on Showmax

Art, money and power: a blueprint for The Brutalist

Uncover the soul of South African football with the boxset of Giants

Rianza Snyman on Vaal Riviera and being a stay-at-home mom

The best Premier League signings of 2025's summer window

SA siblings’ debut film chosen for BFI London Film Festival

Simo Magwaza on his challenging role as De Klerk in Youngins