Is there any doubt that actor Idris Elba is the NEW leading man for Black Hollywood? Well if there was, after today those doubts may be turned to a whisper as Elba finalized a deal today for a lead role that was originally penned for Tom Cruise!
That alone is a shocking statement, and it happened today.
Today, Deadline has reported that Elba landed the new lead role in a science fiction film titled Pacific Rim, playing the lead character named Sensi.
Here is the story via Deadline;
Idris Elba has closed his deal to play the lead role of Sensi in the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros sci-fi action film Pacific Rim. Guillermo del Toro is directing as his next film and production gets underway in November. The film’s produced by Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni. Elba joins Son of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam, with Elba playing the role originally developed for Tom Cruise. While Elba has been knocking on the door of big things in Hollywood for some time, I think that his work in the British series Luther really helped show his considerable range. I’d watched the first season of that series in one sitting right as I was reading Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained script, and couldn’t help but have Elba in my mind as the lead character. He was one of the top names mentioned, but that went south when Tarantino went through a long and fruitless dance with Will Smith. I am persuaded that the role will likely go to Jamie Foxx, but Tarantino hasn’t finalized anything. Elba, who starred this summer in Thor, is currently shooting Prometheus for director Ridley Scott and 20th Century Fox. Elba is repped by UTA, The Schiff Co and UK agent Roger Charteris.
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