British actor Idris Elba recently shared his plans to relocate to Africa within the next decade to support the continent’s film industry. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the 52-year-old star of “The Wire” discussed his exciting initiatives, including the development of film studios in Zanzibar and Accra.
Elba, who was born in London but has deep ties to Africa through his Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father, expressed a strong desire to help elevate the film business on the continent. He emphasized the importance of Africans telling their own stories. “I would certainly consider settling down here; not just consider, it’s going to happen,” he stated during a cinema industry event in Accra. “I think I’ll move in the next five to ten years, God willing. I’m here to bolster the film industry—it’s a ten-year process, and I won’t be able to do that from overseas. I need to be on the continent.”
In the spirit of Pan-Africanism, Elba won’t commit to a single location. “I’m going to live in Accra, I’m going to live in Freetown, I’m going to live in Zanzibar. I want to go where the stories are being told—that’s really important.”
One of his aspirations is to produce a film at his studio in Accra. Elba, who portrayed Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic “Long Walk to Freedom,” believes it is crucial for Africans to play a central role in every aspect of filmmaking—whether in front of the camera, behind the scenes, or in distribution and marketing. He envisions a future where global audiences, much like they can distinguish between New York and Los Angeles, will have a richer understanding of Africa as a diverse and dynamic continent.
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