Now that Universal has set a release date for Baltasar Kormákur’s forthcoming survival thriller “Beast,” fans of Idris Elba (of “Luther,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “Thor” renown) have a whole new reason to get excited about a possible return to normal cinema-going next summer.
There were 10 weeks of shooting in the rural provinces of Limpopo and Northern Cape as well as the metropolis of Cape Town for writer/director Ryan Engle’s film (“The Commuter”), which was based on an original tale by Jaime Primak Sullivan. The project will bring Sullivan and Engle back together after they worked on the Gabrielle Union thriller “Breaking In.”
This should please Elba fans who are eagerly awaiting the Netflix release of “Luther,” a continuation of the popular BBC detective series that Collider says would begin filming in November, since “Beast” will assure that there will be no shortage of the celebrated actor. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release date and plot details of Idris Elba’s next film with director Baltasar Kormákur.
When will we get to see the Beast movie getting released?
Baltasar Kormákur, director of “2 Guns,” and producer of “Katla,” according to Deadline, are leading the anticipated survival thriller, which is expected to open on August 19th, 2022. This means that it will have very little direct competition when it debuts (excluding any reshuffling or delays of other release dates, but that’s a whole other topic).
Given that recent survival blockbusters like “Cast Away,” “The Revenant,” and “The Martian” were released in the fall or winter (perhaps to emphasize the isolation), it’s an interesting choice for the studio, and though to be fair, releasing a savanna-based man versus nature film in the middle of August does feel right. The most likely rival is 2022’s most eagerly awaited film, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which is scheduled to enter cinemas a little over a month before.
“Beast” has an all-star cast and no other major studio releases are scheduled for that weekend, so it should do well at the box office. Because the story focuses on only three characters — one of whom is a lion — the success of the film will be determined entirely by the ability and star power of the actors.
Who will be casting for the Beast movie?
Baltasar Kormákur’s film stars “This is Us” star Iyana Halley and “Empire” star Leah Jeffries as Idris Elba’s kids, as well as 2018’s Sexiest Man Alive. Halley, who previously featured in “Sharp Objects” with Amy Adams, will portray Meredith, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Dr. Nate Samuels, while Jeffries will portray Norah, the thirteen-year-old daughter.
Martin Battles, a close friend of Samuels’s, is played by South African actor Sharlto Copley (District 9, “Russian Doll”) (via Deadline). Copley recently portrayed Ted Kaczynski in Tony Stone’s “Ted K,” a semi-impressionistic take on the biopic genre that Variety applauds for its refusal to “crack” or “psychologize” its subject. Guy Lodge of the publication considers Copley’s portrayal “vivid” and “committed,” and says that he makes “the guy of a million headlines appear considerably human, but not approachable.” There’s no news yet on who will play the lion, but whomever it is, they’ll be accompanied by a lot of talented people, both in front of and behind the camera.
What to expect from the story for Beast movie?
A carnivorous, poacher-wary lion threatens Elba’s character, Nathan Samuels (the father of two young children), and his family when they visit the game reserve owned by Martin (a wildlife biologist) (Copley). Since his wife died, Samuel’s family has taken a trip to South Africa, where they originally met. As Deadline’s Anthony D’Allesandro puts it, “what begins as a therapeutic excursion suddenly becomes a frightening struggle for survival.”
It all fits for Baltasar Kormákur, who was no stranger to survival films before taking on this story about possibly man-eating lions. It’s no surprise that the director/writer/producer is also responsible for films like “The Deep,” “Everest,” and “Adrift,” which all feature individuals who are fighting for survival against indifferent natural elements. While Sullivan and Bernard Bellew will serve as executive producers, Kormákur will join Will Packer and James Lopez of Will Packer Productions on the production team through his own RVK Studios.
There is a big difference between battling for your life in South Africa’s acacia forests and defending the gates of Asgard (or solving puzzling crimes in London), yet the action is just as intense and urgent in “Beast.”…. Fortunately, as the summer of 2021 draws to a close, the wait for the movie gets less and shorter.
