Idris Elba takes a walk in Nelson Mandela’s shoes (and voice) in the first teaser trailer for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, the biopic due out later this year.
Last month, we showed you our first look at Elba in the poster for the the film. Now, we are getting our first listen to the actor’s take on civil rights icon, Nelson Mandela.
The teaser features a wide shot of children running in a field alongside who we presume to be Nelson Mandela, with a voice-over from Elba in character.
We would say Elba’s voice is unrecognizable in the clip, but the actor is clearly channeling the former South African president without skipping a beat.
Check it out:
Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directed the film which shot in South Africa early last year. William Nicholson (Les Misérables) penned the script. Producer Anant Singh acquired the rights to the film with approval from Mandela over 15 years ago.
Naomie Harris (Skyfall) costars as Mandela’s wife Winnie among a cast of primarily South African actors.
The film comes in the wake of a health crisis for Mandela, who has been hospitalized in critical condition for over a month with a lung infection. The 94-year old is recognized as a hero of civil rights for the part he played in ending apartheid and beginning to ease racial tension in South Africa. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years before becoming his nations first black president.
A biopic about Winnie Mandela is also set to hit theaters this fall. That film stars Jennifer Hudson as Mandela’s former wife and Terrence Howard as Mandela.
Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom will open in limited release on Nov. 29.