Idris Elba To Build "Zollywood" Film Studio In Zanzibar
Image Source: BBC
It's not hard to see why Idris Elba is a well-regarded actor. Aside from several voice actor roles, including Knuckles from Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Chief Bogo from Zootopia, he's also known for his role as Heimdall in Thor/Marvel movies, among his other film/TV roles (such as 28 Days Later and Prometheus).
The UK-based actor is no stranger to the craft of acting, and now he's looking to extend the same opportunities of filmmaking and acting to the archipelago region of Zanzibar, located east of Tanzania. While he was raised in East London, Elba is no stranger to his family roots in Ghana and Sierra Leone and has even previously mentioned talk of opening a film studio in Africa. According to Elba, plans for the "West African Studios" (a working title) have already been in development for up to "three or four years" now.
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While the main goal of opening a new film studio in Zanzibar is to further develop the film industry in Africa, it's not difficult to enter such grandiose projects with lavish ideals. Zanzibar's investment minister, Shariff Ali Shariff, even boasts the idea that the new film studio could become "Zollywood", an affectionate nickname that no doubt reminds film lovers of Hollywood, Bollywood, or even something like Wakaliwood, a Ugandan-based film studio.
Not much else is currently known about any plans having to do with the development of the African film studio. With visionaries such as Idris Elba on board, however, one can expect lots of passion, effort, and love put into the undertaking. As the spokesperson for the president of Zanzibar said to BBC, "If successful, the project will help not only Tanzania but also eastern and central Africa."
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Source(s): Deadline
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