Idris Elba Signs First Look Deal With Apple

Idris Elba is bringing his talents to Apple TV+. A new report from Variety brings word that Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company have a first-look deal with Apple now with the intention of developing television series and feature films for the platform. The move makes sense for Elba after his original series Turn Up Charlie was cancelled by Netflix earlier this year. Created in 2013 by the fan-favorite actor, Green Door has produced a number of projects centered around and starring Elba including the documentary series Idris Elba: No Limits and the Elba starring series In the Long Run, plus the upcoming feature film Concrete Cowboy, also starring Elba.

Apple has no shortage of major players developing new content for their platform as Elba joins the likes of Alfonso Cuaron, Justin Lin, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Oprah Winfrey as having a deal with the tech company’s streaming service. Elba even appeared on Winfrey’s Oprah Talks COVID-19 series on the platform after he tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this year.

Elba can next be seen in Warner Bros. The Suicide Squad, though his role is still unknown at this point. Initially Elba was set to replace Will Smith as Deadshot, but the studio opted to change his character should Smith ever decide to return to the part. He’ll also star in the upcoming film Three Thousand Years of Longing opposite Tilda Swinton with filmmaker George Miller set to direct before returning to the wastelands. That film will follow a”lonely British woman, who has decided to go on a vacation to Istanbul. While there, she accidentally finds a bottle that contains a wish-granting Djinn – giving her the chance to change her life with three wishes.” Elba will seemingly take the part of the Djinn.

Last week Elba also offered an update to fans of his long-running detective series Luther, revealing that a feature film continuation of the show may be closer than ever to happening telling reporters that, “I’ve made it very clear that I’d like to see Luther come back as a film. And I can tell you this, that we are this close to making a film of Luther.” The series follows Elba as Detective Chief-Inspector Luther, a brilliant investigator who specializes in hunting down London’s worst serial killers. The twist: Luther’s love interest is a notorious female serial killer, who constantly pushes him to step over the moral line in pursuit of justice.