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Idris Elba Takes a 'Long Walk to Freedom' in Nelson Mandela Biopic

by Ben Pearson
March 19, 2012
Source: THR

Idris Elba has been on the bubble of the A-list for a long time now, and I have a feeling his work over the next couple of years will be enough to help secure a permanent spot among the big time players in Hollywood. The star of "The Wire" and "Luther" has two huge movies coming out soon, with Ridley Scott's Prometheus out this summer and Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim hitting theaters in 2013. But Elba isn't just concentrating on blockbusters - he's got a more personal project brewing on the side. THR reports that he'll play Nelson Mandela in a biopic called Long Walk to Freedom, to be shot on in South Africa.

This project has been in the works ever since Mandela himself granted the rights to his life story to producer Anant Singh fifteen years ago. The movie will tell the story of Mandela's life from his childhood in a small village all the way up to his inauguration as President of the South Africa, and is set to be directed by The Other Boleyn Girl helmer Justin Chadwick. Said to be the largest South African production ever mounted, cameras are set to roll on May 26th, 2012. Elba's got a lot to live up to with his performance since Morgan Freeman played Mandela on the big screen in Clint Eastwood's Invictus back in 2009, but he's definitely shown he has the skills to tackle a dramatic role like this and maybe even give Freeman a run for his money as the definitive cinematic version of Mandela. Interested?

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

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