After starring as Nelson Mandela in Long Walk To Freedom, Idris Elba is 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.

Idris Elba will play a lead role of (not the boy obviously) of the Commander under whom the boy fights. Idris will produce the film 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, especially behind the camera, producing, 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. Yes, I’m fully aware that the novel speaks to a reality, but there’s so much more to Africa than conflict, war, poverty, corruption, and all the other favorites of Western-made films and filmmakers.

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

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

In the meantime, actors in the UK reading this should take note of the below open casting call for the film I received today: 

EXCLUSIVE US OPEN CASTING CALL FOR US FEATURE FILM STARRING IDRIS ELBA!!! SPEAKING ROLES!!!!!!!!!!

Casting Call

IAG are working alongside US producers, as the sole exclusive UK casting directors on the Idris Elba feature film, BONN. If you are suitable and interested in being considered for a role in this film, please upload a self-tape to YouTube lasting no longer that 1 minute speaking in a west african accent and then send the link to bonn@identityagencygroup.com. Please label all tapes on youtube as BONN.

We will not accept tapes sent to any other address.

Please state your name and also forward your email address

These sides are CONFIDENTIAL and should not be passed on.

Tapes should be submitted by Monday 7th April at the latest.

Submitting your Self-Tape 

If the agency is impressed with your self-tape we will email you individually with a character and sides to prepare. If we are impressed with your second tape, we will submit this tape to the producers.

Please be off-book for the tapes, speaking in the relevant accent. The performance should be truthful and raw, not caricature. Please have someone read against you who is used to taping, and will not be distracting.

Please do not submit more than one take.

BONN

A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.

Director: Cary Fukunaga (True Detective; Jane Eyre, Sin Nombre)
Producers: Amy Kaufman (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints; The Whistleblower, 21 Grams); Riva Marker; Daniel Crown.
Production Co: Red Crown Productions
Based on the novel by Uzodinma Iweala
Idris Elba has already been cast in this.

We will not accept tapes sent to any other address.

Please state your name and also forward your email address

These sides are CONFIDENTIAL and should not be passed on.

Tapes should be submitted by Monday 7th April at the latest.

Submitting your Self-Tape 

If the agency is impressed with your self-tape we will email you individually with a character and sides to prepare. If we are impressed with your second tape, we will submit this tape to the producers.

Please be off-book for the tapes, speaking in the relevant accent. The performance should be truthful and raw, not caricature. Please have someone read against you who is used to taping, and will not be distracting.

Please do not submit more than one take.

BONN

A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.

Director: Cary Fukunaga (True Detective; Jane Eyre, Sin Nombre)

Producers: Amy Kaufman (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints; The Whistleblower, 21 Grams); Riva Marker; Daniel Crown.

Production Co: Red Crown Productions

Based on the novel by Uzodinma Iweala

Idris Elba has already been cast in this.