Idris Elba to Front BBC Documentary on U.K. Knife Crime Epidemic – Global Bulletin

DOCUMENTARY

“Hijack” star Idris Elba is set to front a new documentary for the BBC exploring the U.K.’s knife crime academic. “Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime” (working title) will see the star explore the reality of knife crime and potential solutions to solving it. As part of the doc he’ll speak to offenders, bereaved families, the police and even Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as exploring his own life choices, which took him down a very different path.

“So many people dismiss knife crime as something that doesn’t affect them, assuming it’s a Black and Brown urban and gang-related problem – but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” Elba said. “White, middle class and rural areas are also affected, perpetrators are getting younger and fear is spreading. I hope our film goes some way towards changing these stereotypes and getting everyone to engage with one of the biggest challenges of our time. For me, it’s been a tough year – but I’m hopeful.”

The 60-minute documentary is produced by Elba’s production company 22Summers, which he co-founded with producer Diene Petterle, and directed by Ben Steele (“Bad Surgeon”). A release date has yet to be confirmed but in the U.K. the documentary will be broadcast on the BBC and iPlayer.

PRODUCTION

Sony Pictures Television (“SPT”) has launched a new, Belfast-based production company called Hot Sauce, run by journalists-turned drama creatives Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, best known for writing BBC drama “The Salisbury Poisonings.”

Lawn and Patterson will continue to be represented by United Agents in the U.K. and WME in the U.S.