Idris Elba is about to have a fairly massive year.
Not only is he headlining the first instalment of a high-profile adaptation of Stephen King's (huge) fantasy series The Dark Tower, he's returning to the Marvel universe for Thor: Ragnarok (with internet gossip claiming he'll have an expanded role, presumably because he's brilliant).
So, when we sat down to talk to Elba about his upcoming BBC Three takeover (a week of shows created or curated by Elba on the channel, starting March 27), we couldn't help but get in a couple of cheeky questions about his enormous upcoming movies.
Thor: Ragnarok looks like it'll have a funnier tone than previous Marvel movies – are there going to be any humorous moments from Heimdall?
"Heimdall isn't funny. You haven't heard Heimdall laugh, or crack too many jokes. But Taika [Waititi], the director, has done a really amazing job of making all the characters have a bit of a funny moment, and I'm not spared. I'm looking forward to it."
What can you tell us about the much-anticipated Dark Tower movie? Do you feel any pressure bringing such a beloved property to the big screen?
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"Totally, yeah. It's a very revered character, well known, with a big audience, so I'm definitely hoping I get it right. We've made a really cool, interesting film – I think it's honest to the dynamics of the book."
The Dark Tower arrives in UK cinemas on July 28, while Thor: Ragnarok lands in the UK on October 27.
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Freelancer writer
Sam is an entertainment writer with NCTJ accreditation and a twenty-year career as a film journalist.
Starting out as a staff writer at Total Film, moving up to Deputy Online Editor, Sam was responsible for Total Film’s YouTube channel, where he revolutionised the magazine’s approach to video junkets, creating influential formats that spread to other outlets.
He’s interviewed a wide range of film icons, including directors such as David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay and Sam Raimi, as well as actors such as Meryl Streep, Nic Cage, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman, Kermit the Frog, all of the Avengers and many more.
Sam has also interviewed several comic creators, including Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and he has a zombie cameo in The Walking Dead comic.
In 2014, Sam went freelance, working directly for film studios including Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox and Disney, as well as covering red carpet events for film marketing company PMA Productions.
Sam is the co-host, producer and editor of the Arrow Video podcast, which has seen year-on-year growth since its creation in 2017, gaining over half a million listens in that time.
His byline has appeared in outlets such as Yahoo, MTV, Dazed, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Good Housekeeping among others.
In 2012, Sam made it to the final of the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition, and went on to become a filmmaker himself, directing three features that have all played major festivals, and secured distribution – starring in two of them.
Jim Carrey once mistook Sam for Johnny Cash, and John Carpenter told him to ‘Keep up the good work.’ He promises to try his best.
