Apple wins bidding war for upcoming spy film starring Idris Elba
Amber NeelyIdris Elba's Green Door Pictures
After an intense bidding war, Apple has won the rights to a still-unnamed spy flick starring Idris Elba that will debut on Apple TV+.
Idris Elba, known for his work in "The Wire" and the "Avengers" franchise, will star and produce the film. Simon Kinberg, known for his work on the "X-men" franchise and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," will produce alongside Audrey Chon, the president of Kinberg's Genre Films. The script was written by Travon Free, a comedian and writer known for his work on "The Daily Show."
The film is described as "a spy movie with romance" and will be set in Africa, according to Variety.
In July, Apple signed a first-look deal with Elba's Green Door Pictures. Elba's studios will develop and produce new TV shows and film projects that could be added to the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Apple has recently signed first-look deals with several production companies, including Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions, Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, and Martin Scorsese's Sikelia Productions.
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2 Comments
He was such a great actor in Luther. I’m looking forward to this new role he’s portraying.
I am near the end of the 5th season of one of the most remarkable spy series -- well, actually, any TV series -- I've ever watched: The Bureau (on Sundance Now, in French, with English subtitles). It must have been picked up for a song, a diamond in the rough. Pulse-pounding, slow-boil suspense thriller, with unbelievably great acting and real-world gravitas.
This is kind of stuff that Apple should be scouring for. There some great stuff out there, already made or waiting to be made, begging for a global audience.
I am all for Apple getting a headliner here and there (e.g., Hanks, Elba, Anniston, Momoa etc) but sometimes I feel like these superstars don't always create the most compelling stuff. Going after such expensive headliners seems to be the essence of Apple's strategy. I am so impressed by something like a Westworld (S1; S2 and S3 were cr4p) or a Fargo S1-S3 or a Breaking Bad that were almost entirely populated by less well-known (when they made it) actors, but who gave it their all, and changed the game.