Beast, a survival thriller starring Idris Elba, opens this weekend in cinemas around the country. Isan Elba, Idris’s real-life daughter, recently revealed that she tried out for the role of one of her father’s on-screen children but was ultimately not cast in the man vs. nature film in which Idris plays a recently widowed father who must protect his daughters from a man-eating lion while on vacation in South Africa.
As far as we can tell, Elba’s 20-year-old daughter auditioned for the role of Beast but was ultimately unsuccessful due to a lack of on-screen chemistry with her real-life father. Apparently, the news did not sit well with Elba’s daughter, as he explained. Elba reportedly remarked, “She wants to be an actor and she auditioned,” to Insider. And ultimately, it all boiled down to chemistry. My daughter did a fantastic job, but the chemistry between her and the lead actor just didn’t work in the film.
For approximately three weeks, I didn’t hear from my daughter. Elba said that his daughter was disheartened by the audition process, but he also said that despite her displeasure, she was “quite polite” about not getting the part and went to the film’s premiere with her father. Elba said, “I’m incredibly proud of her to go through it, you know what I mean. Not get the part, but show up on the opening night.” And Beast producer Will Packer chimed in, stating, “Idris is accurate, some of the complexities of that real-life connection often don’t translate on film.” Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries, two promising young actors, were cast as Elba’s daughters. Sharlto Copley, who was in District 9, also appears in Beast.
The film Beast is directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Ryan Engle. The film, which is based on a narrative by Jaime Primak Sullivan, has a budget of $36 million but is predicted to make $10 million in its first weekend. In addition to competing with another major release, Beast will have to face off against Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The role of Luther earned Elba four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
Elba has also made a name for himself in the film industry. His filmography includes notable titles like “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and “The Suicide Squad.” Elba’s next big screen appearance will be in a cinematic version of Luther. Although Elba’s daughter didn’t get the part she wanted to play opposite her father in Beast, that doesn’t mean the world won’t get to see her on the big screen soon.