The shark attack thriller has always been one of Hollywood’s most popular B-tier subgenres, but there’s definitely a gap in the market for watching recognizable faces do battle with deadly animals on dry land.
We’ve seen Nicolas Cage as a big game hunter caught in between a white jaguar and an assassin in Primal, Megan Fox starring as an elite mercenary dealing with with lions during a hostage rescue mission in Rogue and the entire three-season run of CBS’ bonkers Zoo, with Idris Elba the latest to get in on the act.
The actor has signed on to star in survival thriller Beast, which has been announced to hit theaters next August, and the concept sounds so wild that there’s a distinct possibility it’s going to be awesome. The plot follows recent widower Dr. Nate Samuels, who journeys to South Africa with his daughters to visit a game reserve, only for the family to find themselves being stalked by a deadly lion that’s survived so many poaching attempts that it harbors a genuine hatred for humans.
As well as a proven leading man, Beast also boasts some decent pedigree behind the camera to ensure that it should be a solidly entertaining time at the movies. Director Baltasar Kormákur is no stranger to cinematic survivalism having already helmed Everest and Adrift, while writer Ryan Engle knows his way around a heightened thriller thanks to penning Liam Neeson duo Non-Stop and The Commuter, as well as being on solid ground when it comes to bloodthirsty animals after receiving the sole story credit on Dwayne Johnson’s Rampage.
Honestly, though, we were on board at ‘Idris Elba vs. a lion,’ and we’ve got our fingers crossed that Beast lives up to the exciting possibilities that come with that logline.
Published: May 19, 2021 07:35 am