For those who can’t get enough of Idris Elba – me for one, particularly hooked to the current season of Luther – today we have the first-look trailer and posters for Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
The film, headed up by an ensemble British cast, with Elba starring as Nelson Mandela and Naomi Harris as Winnie, spans the extraordinary life of the South African President chronicling his childhood in a rural village, his coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming the first democratically elected South African President and working to rebuild the country’s once segregated society.
The biopic is directed by Justin Chadwick (The First Grader, The Other Boleyn Girl) working on a script by William Nicholson, responsible for scribing the likes of Les Miserables and Gladiator. Anant Singh (Material, Prey) is producing and began talks with Mandela about basing a film on his life whilst he was still in prison and went on to purchase the film rights to the autobiography when it was published back in 1996.
Mandela himself certainly seems more than confident that the rights went to right person having commented:
“Anant Singh is a producer I respect very much. Given the resources and backing, he will produce a work of the highest standards and excellence, and it is for that reason, I opted for him.”
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is slated for a UK release on the 3rd of January, 2014 and also stars Terry Pheto, Robert Hobbs, Grant Swanby, Mark Elderkin, Garth Breytenbach and Theo Landey. We’ll leave you with the trailer and two first-look images of Idris Elba and Naomie Harris.
You can follow the film on Facebook for all incoming news regarding the release.
Click on the images below for full sized versions:
