Apple TV+ bags Idris Elba spy thriller after bidding war

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Idris Elba set to star in an Apple TV+ movie
Idris Elba is bringing his many talents to Apple TV+.
Photo: BBC America

Idris Elba will star in a spy romance movie for Apple TV+, the company’s streaming video service. There was reportedly a bidding war over the picture, though what the Mac-maker paid for the rights is not known.

Really, not much is known about the film, other than it will be a “spy movie with romance,” and it will be set in Africa, according to Variety. It has not yet been named.

The script is being written by Travon Free, who won an Emmy for writing on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show in 2015.

There’s little doubt Elba will be able to handle whatever the script asks of him — he’s already played everything from Heimdall to Nelson Mandela. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Luther.  He’s done voice-over work, he’s a rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. And a kickboxer.

Who will play his love in this film interest has not yet been announced.

When this movie will appear on Apple TV+ is not yet known. It’ll apparently be one the films that will supposedly become an important part of this streaming service; a recent report indicated Apple is going to put a greater emphasis on movies in the future in hopes of growing is subscriber base.

Apple TV+ building wide contacts with Hollywood

The spy/romance film Apple just bought the rights to will be produced by Elba as well as Simon Kinberg, who wrote the spy-vs-spy flick Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Both men already have ties to Apple.

Elba signed a first-look deal with the Mac-maker in July, so Apple gets the right of first refusal for all projects dreamed up by Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company.

And Apple approved a 10-episode sci-fi series co-created by Kinberg, who wrote many of the X-Men movies going back to 2006.

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