Idris Elba is back on the big screen. Known worldwide for headlining in several blockbuster films, and TV shows and also for being considered one of the sexiest celebrities, the 49-year-old is set to star in the movie Beast. Filmed in South Africa, the movie focuses on the fight for survival against an untamed lion that begins stalking them.
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Beast was filmed entirely in South Africa in the rural provinces of Limpopo and Northern Cape and in the city of Cape Town. The film is in collaboration with South African production company Known Associates Entertainment (KAE) and with South Africa’s Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC).
Scheduled to be released in theaters on August 19, shooting in Africa for Beast is something that Elba really enjoys. Most recently, the British actor revealed that the continent is his most loved place for filming.
“Certain places in Africa where the amenities are not the same, it’s just a different experience, and the way you make the film is slightly different,” he explained. He added that one of the main reasons why he loves to shoot in Africa so much is because, in many countries and cities, locals are very proud of their hometown. “When you don’t have the fancy hotels and you don’t have fancy restaurants, you’re eating the local food… You just submerge into the culture a lot more.”
In fact, traveling is something that he loves. In an interview with People, Elba said that visiting other cities and countries has been a big part of his life, helping him to grow as an adult, and as a human.
Born and raised in London, Elba considers himself an avid traveler, his first international travel happened at 19 years old when he took a trip to New York City. This experience transformed his life.
“I grew up in East London, and quite easily and quite typically I could have stayed in East London and just lived a happy, content life, just seeing the area that I was born in,” he said. “But it opened up my chakras. It opened up my perspective on life. That’s what’s important, is that people learn, they’re educated from travel, they broaden their perspective.”
After becoming a superstar and traveling to many places around the world both for work and pleasure, Elba revealed in the interview that his favorite destination he’s ever traveled to is Jakes Treasure Beach. For him, the spot is like a “tiny boutique hotel” in Jamaica.
The star said in recent interviews that his next trip will be to Bahia, Brazil’s Blackest state. The decision was made because of the solid Afrocentric appeal offered by this city in South America.
“On my bucket list, I’ve always wanted to go to Bahia in Brazil,” Idris Elba told People, explaining that the Brazilian state is “one of the places where a lot of African slaves ended up.” “There’s a West African feeling in Bahia that I’ve been told about,” he explains. “So I’m down to go check that out.” Elba said that he’s heard from those who have visited that “you really feel customs and cultures, food histories and religion that literally link directly from West Africa, typically Nigeria.”
Check out the trailer for Beast:
