While everyone loves Idris Elba the sexy romantic lead or Idris Elba the dramatic actor, the Beasts of No Nation star has had less success breaking through as an action star. Sure, he's had more than his share of blockbusters such as the Thor movies and the upcoming Star Trek Beyond, but can he lead an action movie on his own? If fans really want to see him as the next James Bond, then they might want to turn out and support Elba in the espionage thriller, Bastille Day, which has just debuted its first trailer.
Directed by James Watkins (The Woman in Black) and co-starring Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), Kelly Reilly (Calvary), and Charlotte Le Bon (The Walk), the film stars Elba as a CIA agent who teams with an American pickpocket to unearth a conspiracy. Here's the official synopsis:
Michael Mason (Richard Madden, 'GAME OF THRONES') is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar (Idris Elba, 'LUTHER', PROMETHEUS), the field agent on the case, soon realizes that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy.
Going against commands, Briar recruits Michael to use his expert pickpocketing skills to help quickly track down the source of the corruption. As a 24hr thrill ride ensues, the unlikely duo discover they are both targets and must rely upon each other in order to take down a common enemy.
The footage here is pretty workmanlike and overall there may not be anything exceptional about Bastille Day, but Elba has elevated some junky films before (Obsessed, No Good Deed) and may be able to do it again. Or it could turn out to be The Gunman, which you probably already forgot about. The film opens in the U.K. in April but has yet to gain a U.S. date.
