After starring as Nelson Mandela in the upcoming Long Walk To Freedom, Idris Elba will be heading back to the continent (Africa) to star in Cary Fukunaga’s film adaptation of Nigeria author Uzodinma Iweala’s bestselling debut novel Beasts of No Nation.

Red Crown Productions will produce the film adaptation which follows the journey of a young boy, who is forced to join a group of soldiers in an unnamed West African country. His fledgling childhood brutally shattered by the war raging through his unnamed West African country, the boy finds himself simultaneously fascinated and revolted by the mechanics of war.

The novel is said to be explicit, complex, not shying away from the harsh stuff – a confrontational, immersive first-person narrative.

According to Deadline, Idris Elba will play the lead role of (not the boy obviously) the Commander under whom the boy fights. Idris will produce as well.

According to director Fukunaga: “This project has been seven years in the making, so to say I’m excited to start shooting this — and with Idris Elba as lead — would be me trying to play it cool. Red Crown has real moxie standing behind this story.”

Primary Productions’ Amy Kaufman will also serve as producers on the film, joining Elba, Fukunaga and Red Crown. 

Daniel Crown and Bill Benenson will serve as executive producers. 

While I’m certainly glad to see Elba continuously working, and I dig Fukunaga’s eye, I’m not so high on yet another film on child soldiers in an “unnamed African country.” 

The danger of the single story… to borrow from author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. There’s so much more to Africa than conflict, war, poverty, corruption, and all the other favorites of Western-made films and filmmakers.

Granted I haven’t read the novel the film will be based on, so it may exceed my expectations, and may not at all be what I immediately envisioned. 

I’ll pick up a copy of it, and read it before the film is made.

If you have read the novel, please share your thoughts in the comment section.

Red Crown is financing the film.

IM Global is taking the project to the Toronto International Film Festival for international sales.