According to Matt Mueller of Thompson on Hollywood, filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro is a big fan of Idris Elba and his work.
She states that Del Toro is a “massive fan” of Elba’s Stringer Bell in The Wire but it was his work in the BBC detective series Luther than convinced him that Elba was perfect choice for the major role in his upcoming sci-fi film Pacfic Rim.
She quotes Del Toro as saying about Elba and Luther that “the presence Idris has is almost like a supernatural gravitational force. Literally objects start moving when the guy enters a room. He’s an actor of uncommon power and uncommon humanity… Javier Bardem is another one. They’re like Rodin sculptures. They represent pure humanity.”