Idris Elba Responds To ‘Unintelligent Argument’ About Black British Actors Taking American Roles

Idris Elba is to narrate and exec a high-end Netflix docu-series about the origins and evolutions of some of the most unique sports in the world.

Manori Ravindran International Editor Landing James Bond may be the biggest acting gig in Hollywood, but 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson say they still have to pitch prospective actors on the part. When Variety catches up with Britain’s most famous producers in late August, they’re busy preparing for the 60th anniversary of Bond in October. But the search for a new actor to play the world’s most famous spy is quietly rumbling on in the background. It’s still “early days,” they claim, but whomever lands the role has to be in it for the long haul. For a while, that person seemed to be Idris Elba. But the “Luther” star recently said he didn’t see Bond when he “looks in the mirror” — remarks that some have interpreted as Elba’s valediction to 007.

James Bond after Daniel Craig's final outing in No Time To Die. The official announcement will likely come in the next 12 months - but until then, the odds are all we have to go on.

Idris Elba is speaking out.

Idris Elba was quick to apologise to Rochelle Humes on Friday during his appearance on This Morning.

Zack Sharf The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance Somebody” stars BAFTA-winning actor Naomi Ackie as the legendary singer, which means the debate over Black British actors taking roles away from American actors is bound to resurface. The debate surged in 2017 after Samuel L. Jackson called out Daniel Kaluuya’s casting in “Get Out,” for which the actor earned an Oscar nomination. “I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that,” Jackson said. In a new interview on “The Shop” (via The Root), Idris Elba railed against the claim that Black British actors are takes roles away from American actors. Naomi Ackie’s role in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” served as a launching pad for the discussion. Talk show host Maverick Carter asked Elba about Ackie’s casting, noting that Black American women might criticize a Black British actor playing an American icon.

Andre Rieu vanquishes safari action adventure Beast to top the UK and Ireland box office. The Dutch violinist and conductor has been releasing his summer concert into UK cinemas every year since 2011, gradually building up box office to a pre-pandemic peak in 2019 with £1. 8m for the event.

Naman Ramachandran Documentary specialist distributor Piece of Magic Entertainment’s “Andre Rieu’s 2022 Maastricht Summer Concert,” a concert film featuring Dutch violinist and conductor Andre Rieu, led a sluggish weekend at the U.K. and Ireland box office. The film collected £799,474 ($932,330) in a weekend when no film crossed the £1 million mark, according to numbers provided by Comscore. It was a three-day bank holiday weekend in the U.K. Ten previous Rieu concerts have grossed more in their opening weekend, but none managed to top the charts, per Comscore. The last event film to top the charts in the territory was “Michael Ball and Alfie Boe: Back Together” in Oct. 2020.

Prince Charles edited an edition of the African-Caribbean newspaper The Voice to mark its 40th anniversary. The Prince of Wales was asked to edit the edition, which will focus on work Charles has done with community leaders over the years.

Prince Charles has guest edited the 40th-anniversary edition of British African-Caribbean newspaper The Voice. In a statement, the Prince of Wales said he was "so touched" to be asked to edit The Voice's 40th-anniversary edition. He remarked that the British newspaper, which focuses on Black issues and culture, had become "an institution" over its 40-year run.

Film fans can get £3 cinema tickets at Vue cinemas in Greater Manchester next Saturday.

To mark National Cinema Day on Saturday, September 3, Vue is inviting film fans nationwide to enjoy the best seats, screen, and brilliant sound of the big screen experience, for just £3 per ticket*.

Veteran British comedian turned actor Sir Lenny Henry applauds the decision by producers of The Lord of The Rings series to create a racially diverse cast.

J. Kim Murphy In a summer that’s often seen only one new wide release in a weekend, a whopping three new films hit theaters on Friday: Sony’s horror-thriller “The Invitation,” George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” and bank heist movie “Breaking,” starring John Boyega. However, none of them seem to be making much of an impact, as the total box office projects a sum in the $50 million to $60 million range. That wouldn’t just be the worst weekend of the summer, but also the worst since February. “The Invitation” is tracking ahead of the other two, as it looks to claim the weekend’s top spot with a meagre $6 million to $7 million gross from 3,114 locations in its opening. Critics didn’t really care for the movie — it landed a 40% approval rating from review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes — and audiences were perhaps more unenthused. The film holds a “C” grade from research firm Cinema Score, indicating a rather snoozy reception from general consumers.

“The Invitation,” a gothic horror film from Sony’s Screen Gems, made $775,000 at the box office in its Thursday night preview screenings from 2,739 locations and showings that started at 4 p.m. The film opens on more than 3,000 screens this weekend. “The Invitation” opens in a quiet week at the end of the summer and is projected for a $6 million-$7 million opening against a $10 million budget.

J. Kim Murphy John Seale was considering retirement a decade ago — then fellow Australian George Miller convinced the cinematographer to shoot “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Now, their partnership continues with the fantastical romance “Three Thousand Years of Longing.” During production, Seale decided the two-hander, starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, would be a “fascinating” film to cap his career, electing against reuniting with Miller for “Furiosa,” the filmmaker’s upcoming “Fury Road” prequel, which is currently in production. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Seale recalled. “George said, ‘Well, I’m not going to ask you to do it.’ I thought to myself, ‘Ah great, now I don’t have to go through it all.’ Then he said, ‘I’m going to invite you.’ That one word — ‘invite’ — changed the whole thing and made it even harder.”