The film is based upon Mandela's 1994 biopic of the same name, with Idris Elba (Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World) starring as the man himself in a performance which is already being tipped as a contender for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Naomie Harris (Skyfall) appears as Winnie Mandela, with Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directing a script by William Nicholson (Les Miserables).
"The story of South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, spanning over seventy years, including his struggle against apartheid, 27 years in jail, and his rise to prominence as a political leader and head-of-state. This epic motion picture spans Mandela’s extraordinary life, from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected President of South Africa. MANDELA is the thrilling story of an ordinary man who rose to the challenge of his times and triumphed – an intimate portrait of the making of a modern icon."
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is set for a limited U.S. release on November 9th and will open here in the UK on January 3rd, 2014.