Idris Elba is a pretty terrific actor. If you feel otherwise, either I pity you or don’t consider you my friend anymore. The British performer has tremendous dramatic and comedic range, along with suave for days. He brings an enviable sense of gravitas to every single performance, and he’s been climbing the Hollywood ladder for years, building his profile with each passing day. And while it’s unclear if James Bond is still in the cards for him, he already has his next career goal in sight: a trip to the director’s chair. The veteran actor will make his directorial debut with Yardie.
Screen Daily buried the lead on this one in their recent Studiocanal report, revealing Elba’s upcoming Victor Headley adaptation quite late in the story. The upcoming film will follow the rise of a young Jamaican in London’s drug-dealing underworld, specifically through ’80s Notting Hill. Details are slim at the moment, although discussions are apparently underway with Universal Music about incorporating their Island Records brand into the film. It also comes with a screenplay by Brock Norman Brock (Bronson).
No casting details are made public at the moment, although some (including The Playlist) believe Elba will star in the film in addition to directing. We won’t know for sure until later down the line, however. Elba is also an accomplished DJ outside his day job, so this isn’t necessarily out of his wheelhouse. Expect production to begin either later this year or early next year. I’m certainly excited, as you might have guessed.
