Few politicians’ names are known around the globe like Nelson Mandela’s, and it’s with great anticipation that we’re looking forward to seeing Idris Elba bring the man to life on the big screen in the biopic, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
The Weinstein Company launched the first poster for the film late last month. And whilst we’re waiting for the first trailer to surface, they’ve released a new poster bearing the slogan, ‘Trouble Maker’.
The story of South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, spanning over seventy years, including his struggle against apartheid, 27 years in jail, and his rise to prominence as a political leader and head-of-state.
Elba is joined by Naomie Harris, who plays Mandela’s wife, Winnie. And starring alongside them will be Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva, and Jamie Bartlett.
Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) is directing from a script written by the Oscar-nominated William Nicholson (Gladiator, Les Misérables).
Elba has been deservedly on the rise in recent years, making a name for himself not only in films like Prometheus, Thor, and the upcoming Pacific Rim, but also in the BBC’s acclaimed series, Luther. Add to that the nature of this biopic, and I think there’s every chance he’ll be getting a Best Actor nod come January next year from the Academy, along with a slew of other awards ceremonies.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is set to be released in the US on November 29th, giving it a prime position for TWC to campaign ahead of the Oscars. And in the past few weeks, its UK release date has now been set for 3rd January, 2014.
