In an interview, the actor says, 'I'm definitely taking on more than I've ever taken on in any other project, with the hats that I'm wearing.'
- August 20, 2018
AceShowbiz - Idris Elba is "incredibly daunted" by his upcoming "Hunchback of Notre Dame" project, as he's taking on more roles than ever.
In May, it was announced that the "Thor" actor would direct, produce and star in a modern take on Victor Hugo's classic 19th century romance, as well as create original songs for its soundtrack.
In a new interview with Empire magazine, the British star admitted he was very aware of how much he was taking on.
"It's incredibly daunting. The film at the moment lives entirely in my brain," he said. "I'm very fortunate to have a classic tale to reinvent. So now it's about how I execute it. I'm definitely taking on more than I've ever taken on in any other project, with the hats that I'm wearing. But, hey, that's why I'm here. I'm an entertainer, right? I liken it to an athlete being asked to do a triathlon: okay, show me what you really got."
The adaptation, which will debut on Netflix, will mark Idris' second directorial feature following "Yardie", which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
The 45-year-old explained that he was inspired to make a movie based on Victor Headley's novel, about a Jamaican boy who comes to London and get involves in criminal activity, because he could relate to the character and the culture in a way he couldn't with most books when he was a teenager growing up in east London.
"This was a rude boy on the street, there were no TV shows about rude boys," he explained. "The (book) cover had a guy's face with a gun pointing at you; it was like, 'Well, I've gotta read this'. And it was compelling - it's a page-turner; it's violent. It certainly captured my imagination.
"It described London as I knew it - the streets, vibes, fashion, they were things I could look around and see."
"Yardie" hits cinemas from August 31.
