News

Thomas “Eromose” Ikimi, director of the Tribeca Film Festival player “88,” has been tapped to write a new drama about a fierce wildlife preservationist and activist.

Eromose will write the screenplay for “Manaka,” a story inspired by the organization Saving the Wild and its founder Jamie Joseph. The Zimbabwean-born South African founded the charitable foundation to help protect rhinos from poaching, as well as to tell authentic stories about frontline workers protecting the species from going extinct.

Robbie and LuckyChap partners Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara will produce alongside Anthony Mastromauro for Im Entertainment and Charles Randolph. Brad Feinstein is also producing and financing through his Romulus Entertainment banner, alongside his development partner Christina Weiss Lurie of Fourth & Twenty Eight.

“It’s an honor to be working on a project of such importance to Africa. The complex rhino poaching crisis exposes wider ramifications, not only for South Africa, but for the entire continent.

The political thriller 88 is a thought-provoking film that feels both urgent and relevant. Written, directed, and even edited by Eromose, 88 tells the story of a financial director for a democratic super Pac who discovers something curious about their group’s donation records. 88 stars Brandon Victor Dixon as Femi Jackson, Orlando Jones as Harold Roundtree, and Amy Sloan as Agatha Frost, among others, and premiered in 2022 at the Tribeca Film Festival. 88 is not necessarily a subtle film, but it gets a powerful message across thanks to powerful performances, intentional writing, and certain informational elements reminiscent of Adam McKay’s Vice and The Big Short.

Many of the biggest thematic conversations in 88 are had in an interview setting, where Orlando Jones’ character, presidential candidate Harold Roundtree, is interviewed by Ron Holt, played by William Fichtner. Fichtner is an actor with an incredible career under his belt, having worked...

Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive clip from the political thriller 88. The movie follows Femi Jackson, the financial director of a Democratic super Pac that is supporting the leading presidential candidate, Harold Roundtree. However, all is not as it seems when Femi discovers a strange pattern in the donations with the number "88" continuously popping up.

At home, Femi's wife is facing racial and class bias while educating their son on the dangers he can face on a daily basis, which Femi's investigation makes even more prominent. Femi and his colleagues follow the money down this rabbit hole, discovering corruption and the shocking source that ties a black presidential candidate to a white supremacist group. 88 premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and is available exclusively in theaters now.

Related: All The President's Men & 9 Other Great Political Thrillers

More About 88

In Screen Rant's exclusive clip from 88 Femi...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to “88” following its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. The political conspiracy thriller was directed by Eromose, the filmmaker behind “Nostradamus” and “Legacy.” It has an impressive cast that includes Brandon Victor Dixon, Naturi Naughton, Orlando Jones, Thomas Sadoski, Michael J. Harney, Amy Sloan, Kelly McCreary, Jon Tenney, Kenneth Choi and William Fichtner.

“88” was executive produced by multimedia mogul Lenard “Charlamagne Tha God” Mckelvey. Hunter Arnold, Linda B. Rubin, Eromose, Brandon Victor Dixon and Warren Adams served as producers. The film will be released in theaters and on digital platforms next year.

The film follows Femi Jackson (Dixon), the financial director for a Democratic super Pac behind a frontrunner presidential candidate. He discovers unusual patterns in donations and enlists an investment blogger, Ira Goldstein (Sadoski), to dig deeper. As Femi’s wife Maria (Naughton) strives to educate their son on the...

This conspiracy thriller from Eromose hinges on ambition – the obvious drive of Democratic presidential candidate Harold Roundtree (Orlando Jones) as he powers through his policies with the backing of a super Pac and a set of less wholesome hidden objectives by others that become apparent as the film unfolds. It’s also marked by the ambition of the writer/director/editor himself, who not only wants to serve up mainstream tension and family drama, also has one eye on wider modern political funding and another on attempting to educate his audience about this, the history of racism in America and the link between the two.

There is a lot going on here, much of it good, but the elements jostle for attention, with Eromose, who previously made Legacy: Black Ops, joining any number of first and second-time filmmakers who are so keen to include all their ideas in one film they risk overloading.

88 Tribeca Festival Viewpoints Section Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: Eromose Writer: Eromose Cast: Brandon Victor Dixon, Naturi Naughton, Orlando Jones, Thomas Sadoski, William Fichtner, Amy Sloan Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 4/14/22 Opens: June 11th, 2022 There are many people who don’t trust politicians, and for good reason. Far too many who […]

The post Tribeca 2022: 88 Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

When online trolls tanked reviews for 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Thomas Eromose Ikimi didn’t get mad, he got inspired.

The fractured response among critics and fans galvanized the filmmaker to create Qurator, a movie review app that allows film enthusiasts to rate and discuss movies without encountering the kind of digital provocateurs that rival sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb have fallen victim to.

“A few years ago I was looking at reviews and I found it very difficult to sift through a rating and decide whether it was accurate,” he told Variety. “I thought that there must be a way of distilling the reactions actual fans would have. That’s what compelled me to look for a solution.”

Ikimi, a computer programmer who directed 2010’s sci-fi thriller “Legacy” with Idris Elba, enlisted Brandon Victor Dixon, best known among theater buffs for “Hamilton” and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live,...

In the last few years a few Directors of Nigerian heritage have made waves internationally. Thomas Ikimi with his debut “Limbo” and its follow up “Legacy: Black Ops” (2010) , which scored a hot-off-“The Wire” Idris Elba as his lead… Continue Reading →...

As I said I would a month ago, when it was announced that writer/director Thomas Ikimi had reunited with Idris Elba for a Fox hour-long drama series titled "The Crusaders," which the network has put into development, let's revisit the last time Elba and Ikimi worked together - the 2010 feature film titled "Legacy" which is currently available on various home video platforms; a film that I don't think many of you have seen, and that is rarely, if ever, discussed in conversations about Elba's past work and abilities as a actor. Elba stars as Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray. Having barely survived a botched mission in Eastern Europe, he takes...

Awesome news for Thomas Ikimi! I raved about his feature film debut way back in 2010 - the psych thriller, "Legacy" which also starred Idris Elba by the way, as Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray who, having barely survived a botched mission in Eastern Europe, takes sanctuary in a Brooklyn motel room, brooding on the guilty legacy of his past actions. Now Ikimi and Elba are teaming up again for a Fox hour-long drama series titled "The Crusaders," which the network has put into development.   Ikimi, penned "The Crusaders" which follows "an extended family of second-generation Africans living in the USA who specialize in...

Fox has purchased the script for the hourlong drama “The Crusaders” by Thomas Ikimi. The project from Legendary Television centers around and extended family of second-generation Africans living in the U.S., who specialize in locating and returning valuable objects stolen from Africa during colonial occupation. The project is written and executive produced by Ikimi through T&T Studios. Idris Elba also serves as executive producer, alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott of di Bonaventura TV. Also read: Idris Elba Drafts Children for War in New Trailer for 'Beasts of No Nation' (Video) Ikimi previously wrote and directed the film “Legacy,...

Fox has put in development The Crusaders, an hourlong drama series from Legacy writer-director Thomas Ikimi, the 2010 film’s star Idris Elba, Legendary TV and studio-based Di Bonaventura Television. Written by Ikimi, The Crusaders, which has a script commitment, focuses on an extended family of second-generation Africans living in the U.S. who specialize in locating and returning valuable objects stolen from Africa during colonial occupation. UK-born Ikimi and Elba are…...

Ma Ma

Just a few days before its world premiere at Toronto, Oscilloscope Laboratories has just acquired U.S. rights to Julio Medem's "Ma Ma" starring and produced by Penelope Cruz.

A chance encounter following a grim medical diagnosis connects a woman named Magda (Cruz) with soccer star Arturo (Luis Tosar) who is, himself, dealing with unspeakable loss. Together, they raise her son while grappling with the realities of their situations. [Source: Deadline]

Mallbrats

Kevin Smith has announced on social media that production on "Mallbrats," the upcoming sequel to his classic 1994 comedy "Mallrats," will begin in January at the Exton Square Mall in Pennsylvania.

StarStream is financing the project which is expected to feature the return of Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Ethan Suplee, Shannen Doherty, Michael Rooker, Renee Humphrey, Joey Lauren Adams, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Scott Mosier, Bryan Johnson, Walt Flanagan, Brian O'Halloran, Claire Forlani, Jason Mewes and Smith himself on screen.

Skimming the list below, I immediately recognized the names of a few filmmakers whose work we've covered on this blog over the years, and it's good to see that those we haven't heard from in a little while, are still very much in the game! So congrats to Thomas Ikimi, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Faraday Okoro, Rungano Nyoni and all the others I'm not yet familiar with, but will shortly, on films you directed making the cut! I'm looking forward to checking them all out. The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by At&T, today announced its lineup of 60 short films, 40 of which are world premieres. The selections were curated from 3076 submissions. The 2015 program includes shorts from...

We brought word earlier this week of Thomas Ikimi's short thriller Nostradamus as we shared a short excerpt from the film and now we are proud to present the full film here on Twitch. A recruit to a prototype military drone program, arrives at a remote diner, and is faced with an unexpected chain of events.Austin Nichols, Amy Sloan, Tessa Auberjonois, Joe Holt and Chloe Bennett star in this latest effort from the director of Limbo and Legacy. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

We've been fans of UK based director Thomas Ikimi here at Twitch since all the way back in 2004 when he appeared on the scene with Limbo, an impressive microbudget thriller made back in the days before microbudget was even a thing. Ikimi didn't have any money on that effort but he clearly had a ton of talent and we've been keeping a close eye ever since.So Twitch is proud to say that we'll be hosting the premiere of Ikimi's newest effort - a 25 minute short titled Nostradamus which he describes as a Hitchcock influenced thriller revolving around a drone pilot. We're not going to say any more than that for now but check out an excerpt from the film below and keep an...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Director/writer: Thomas Ikimi.

Legacy or Legacy: Black Ops is a psychological thriller released in North America in theatres October 15th and on DVD December 28th, 2010. The film stars Idris Elba (28 Weeks Later), Julian Wadham (Outpost) and Mem Ferda (The Devil's Double), in director Thomas Ikimi's debut film. Legacy begins in the action thriller genre, but quickly switches to psychological thriller, as Malcolm Gray (Elba) cannot leave one special mission behind. The result is a slow burn, with some intriguing yet convoluted messages.

Gray is sent on an espionage mission to prevent a sarin gas attack on the eastcoast of the United States. He is caught tortured and returned home a former shell of himself. Here, the remainder of the film is shot within one dingy room, while Gray moans of operation "Dark Hammer." The cramped confines of the set are reduced due to a limited budget and the...

Codeblack Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution to romantic comedy Politics of Love (Love, Barack) and plans a July theatrical release.

We’ve covered the film on this site, so here’s a brief refresher…

Inspired by the real-life romances that blossomed during then Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, the movie takes place in the run-up to the 2008 election. Brian White plays a black volunteer coordinator working for the local John McCain office who strikes unexpected sparks with the devoted Indian Obama volunteer coordinator, played by Mallika Sherawat.

Ruby Dee and Loretta Devine co-star in this romantic comedy.

William Dear directed from a screenplay by Gary Goldstein.

I have no idea how CodeBlack plans to release the film; it’ll surely be a very limited release, if what they did with Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy which starred Idris Elba is anything to go by.

Below is a teaser trailer for...

31-year-old London-born filmmaker Thomas Ikimi has applied the Christopher Nolan school of filmmaking to his career so far.

Like Nolan’s debut, his first feature, Limbo, was a micro budget affair which cost $9000 and was produced mostly through using his student credit card. His follow-up, Legacy: Black Ops, which was released on DVD last week (you can read our review here), also shares a link to Memento via its similar delve into the mind of a troubled and psychologically-unbalanced protagonist (a striking central performance from The Wire’s Idris Elba).

Ikimi is of Nigerian descent and attended primary school in Nigeria and public school in England before gaining a literature and writing degree from Columbia University, New York. His next project (a sci-fi film) is currently in pre-production.

We caught up with him to chat about the making of ‘Black Ops’ and how he manages to get a one of...

I should have mentioned this earlier, but I’m only not becoming aware of it…

It was out on DVD in December… a film I’ve given lots of pixels to on this site – Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy, starring Idris Elba.

It’s also now available On Demand and via Netflix’s instant streaming option. So, you can watch it right now, if you have a Netflix account, and haven’t already. You’re just 2 or 3 clicks away 90 minutes with Malcolm Gray.

A quick recap… the psychological thriller, centers on Idris Elba as Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray. Having barely survived a botched mission in Eastern Europe, he takes sanctuary in a New York motel room. Brooding on the guilty legacy of his past actions, he replays events in his mind as he focuses on the seemingly inexorable rise of his smooth-talking brother Darnell (Eamonn Walker), a ruthlessly ambitious, fear-mongering...

One of the UK’s biggest and brightest imports, Idris Elba, further establishes himself as a major transatlantic talent in this tale of an ex-soldier whose wartime demons begin to get the better of him.

The Wire star is Malcolm Gray, a member of an elite Black Ops unit whose team are overpowered and captured in a stylish pre-credit opening sequence. The rest of the action then takes place in a grubby Brooklyn hotel room where the now-freed Gray is holed up. Mentally and physically scarred from his time in captivity, he’s a changed man from his earlier incarnation as a gleefully aggressive soldier, and in an attempt to atone for past indiscretions, begins compiling evidence and recording video journals in which he places blame of his team’s double-cross on that of his ambitious, hard-line senator brother (Eamonn Walker).

As he begins to receive visitors from his past (including this brother’s wife,...

Espionage thriller Legacy: Black Ops is out on DVD and Blu-ray today following its release in cinemas last Friday.

Written and directed by London-born Thomas Ikimi, it centres on Black Ops agent Malcolm (Idris Elba) who returns home after a botched mission in Eastern Europe.

Pitched up in a Brooklyn motel room, he is torn between retribution and personal salvation, as he mentally unravels and starts putting together a plan for revenge on those he believes have betrayed his trust.

Starring alongside Elba (pictured above on left) is Mem Ferda (on right), who plays Andriy.

Ferda has previously been seen in TV shows such as The Bill, EastEnders, Heartbeat and Spooks and in films including Guy Ritchie's Revolver. At 6ft 2in with a brawler's physique he often ends up playing a villain.

Here, Mem Ferda tells us more about his part in the film and the other projects in which he is involved.

Legacy: Black Ops is an exercise in claustrophobic tension studying the effect of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on a soldier returning to civilisation after undergoing torture at the hands of the enemy. Made on a budget of just $500,000 the film was written and directed by newcomer Thomas Ikimi and stars The Wire’s Idris Elba who gives an acting tour de force in the lead role.

Legacy: Black Ops is released on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday. Here is our review…

Malcolm Gray (Elba), a celebrated soldier specialising in black ops is taken hostage and tortured whilst taking part in a failed mission. On release he is unable to come to terms with the experience. Gray holes himself up in a shabby hotel room to try to overcome the effects of severe anxiety and paranoia. His isolation and internal debate over the legacy he will leave behind results in some...

Norwegian Wood (15)

(Tran Anh Hung, 2010, Japan) Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, Kiko Mizuhara, Tetsuji Tamayama, Kengo Kôra. 133 mins

Between its daunting cult status and its decidedly un-romcom themes, it's amazing Haruki Murakami's proto-emo Japanese teen tale ever got made. Coming of age here is a languid, melancholy journey across tragedy, mental illness, sexual frustration and other sorrows, but the tone is beautifully maintained, visually and aurally, and it captures something most youth movies never even attempt to find.

Fair Game (12A)

(Doug Liman, 2010, Us) Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell. 108 mins

What Hollywood liberal bias? This dramatisation of the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame over her husband's non-cooperation with Bush's Iraq plans dares to name names and point fingers. True-life political and personal tensions are brought back to the boil.

Battle: Los Angeles (12A)

(Jonathan Liebesman, 2011, Us) Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan. 116 mins

This massive-scale action epic launches...

Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy, starring Idris Elba, opens in theaters in the UK today, March 11th. It’s also now available On Demand and as a digital download (thanks Mr Forde for the heads-up). So, you’ve got 3 ways to check it out this weekend, if you haven’t already, and you live in the UK. No excuses

If you’d rather get it on DVD or Blu-ray, it’ll be available in both formats on Monday, the 14th – also just for you folks in the UK (it’s already on DVD and Blu-ray for those in the USA, so check Netflix or Amazon to rent or purchase).

A quick recap… the psychological thriller, centers on Idris Elba as Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray. Having barely survived a botched mission in Eastern Europe, he takes sanctuary in a New York motel room. Brooding on the guilty legacy of his past actions,...

Idris Elba is the main attraction of this one-room psychodrama about a soldier on the verge of breakdown, says Xan Brooks

A committed performance by Idris Elba toils to prop up this curiously lugubrious conspiracy thriller about a jittery former soldier, holed up in a distressed rooming house and chasing shadows round every turn. Just who was it who ordered the butchery of Elba's old compadres? Might it even have been his own politico brother? Or is he merely flipping out, bouncing off the ceiling, staring at the wallpaper and seeing patterns that don't exist? This tension is all very well but it only goes so far. Thomas Ikimi's film never settles, never gels. It feels like a one-act play that dreamed it was a first-person shooter game; as confused, in its way, as the hero himself.

Rating: 2/5

Idris ElbaDramaThrillerXan Brooks

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use...

Legacy: Black Ops **

Stars: Idris Elba, Eamonn Walker, William Hope, Monique Gabriela Curnen | Written and Directed by Thomas Ikimi

The psychological ramifications of war make for engaging and thought-provoking viewing when done properly (Born On The Fourth Of July, The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now all feature characters with Ptsd symptoms). Legacy attempts to get into the mind of a combat veteran who has done unspeakable things but while the premise is interesting, it falls short in delivering a satisfying cinema experience.

Idris Elba stars as Malcolm Gray, a decorated soldier part of an undercover team codenamed Dark Hammer, who specialise in pre-emptive strikes against civilian targets, all in the name of freedom, democracy and other such ironic ideals. After finally tracking down a Ukrainian with a stockpile of sarin gas, the operation goes badly wrong resulting in his squad’s capture and his horrific torture.

Back in the USA,...

To celebrate the release of Legacy: Black Ops on DVD & Blu-ray, Revolver Entertainment have been kind enough to give us 3 copies of the movie on DVD to give away.

Already garnering rave reviews and worldwide recognition for its amazing performances and incredible direction Legacy: Black Ops – starring Idris Elba (The Wire, RockNRolla, American Gangster) will be released theatrically on 11th March and on DVD and Blu-ray from 14th March 2011.

Synopsis: Malcolm Gray (Elba), a celebrated soldier specialising in black ops is taken hostage and tortured whilst taking part in a failed mission. On release he is unable to come to terms with the experience. Gray holes up in a shabby hotel room to try to overcome the effects of severe anxiety and paranoia. His isolation and internal debate over the legacy he will leave behind results in some terrible realisations about his life and family.

Featuring a harrowing, but unique...

Legacy UK Quad PosterAction thriller fans from the United Kingdom have something to get excited about! Legacy: Black Ops, starring Idris Elba, Eamonn Walker, Mem Ferda and Monique Gabriela Curnen will be released in theatres throughout the UK March 11th. Revolver Entertainment will then release this title on DVD and Blu-ray March 14th. Theatre locations will be announced shortly.

Legacy: Black Ops involves political espionage, as a black ops solider has been sold out by his brother, a "New York Senator" (Legacy). Sibling rivalry reaches catastrophic levels, with arms tradings and black market corruption setting the backdrop. Revisit the action oriented trailer below and then UK fans can get set for the premiere!

The synopsis for Legacy: Black Ops is here:

"Malcolm Gray (Elba) is a former black ops officer who is living in a run down Brooklyn apartment. Years earlier, while hunting down an elusive arms and weapons dealer,...

A reminder…

Today, Thursday, the 30th, from 3Pm to 4:30Pm Est, I will be hosting a 90-minute conversation/talk-back session with the writer/director of Legacy (a film we’ve given lots of coverage to on this blog, which starred Idris Elba), Thomas Ikimi (in collaboration with CodeBlack Entertainment).

With the film being released on DVD this week, Thomas and I will be discussing it, and fielding questions from those who’ve seen it; we’ll also be talking about the nature of the business in general, specifically, Thomas’ experiences thus far, with Legacy, from script, to production, to festivals, to distribution and exhibition. So, it should be an informative 90-minutes, especially for filmmakers working on their first feature films.

So, tune in this afternoon if you can. You can also head over to the Shadow And Act BlogTalkRadio page to set a reminder for and share each episode (Facebook,...

Hope everyone had a good Christmas weekend! Mine was restful, and I ate a lot. I also watched a lot of movies… a lot of bad movies (to me) that I skipped in theaters. For example, right now, I’m watching Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, while eating leftover carrot cake

Anyway… this week, we have 2 livecasts planned, and I hope you’ll tune in to listen, if you can. Of course, you can also download each one afterward.

First, tonight, Wednesday, the 29th, from 8Pm to 9Pm Est, myself, Sergio, Noelani, Obsidienne and Cynthia will spend an hour rehashing the year, 2010; revisiting some of our favorite posts and other memorable topics, and hopefully just having a good time remembering the year that was on Shadow And Act - really our first Full year.

Second, on Thursday, the 30th, from 3Pm to 4:30Pm Est, I will be hosting a 90-minute...

Out on DVD today… a film I’ve given lots of pixels to on this site – Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy, starring Idris Elba.

I reviewed the film Here, after seeing it at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.

And, as a reminder, I’ll be chatting with Thomas this Thursday afternoon, for 90 minutes, from 3Pm to 4:30Pm, via the ShadowAndAct Livecast. We’ll be talking about a lot of things, including the film, of course, working with Idris Elba, and Thomas’s experiences in the industry, as a filmmaker of African descent, who’s been through the entire process (fundraising, attracting talent, production, film festivals, dealing with sales agents and distribution companies, as well as exhibitionists, exhibitors etc). We’ll also be fielding questions from listeners.

Should be a good show, so tune in if you can. You can always download it afterward if you can’t listen live.

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"And Soon the Darkness"

Directed by Marcus Efron

Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment

A remake of the 1970 British thriller of the same name, director Marcos Efron transplants the story from France to Argentina where two friends' bike ride across the mountains takes a turn for the disastrous when one mysteriously disappears. "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" star Amber Heard and "The Unborn"'s Odette Yustman bring their collected screaming ability to this horror film. Karl Urban and "Babel"'s Adrianna Barraza co-star.

"The American"

Directed by Anton Corbijn

Released by Universal Home Video

Ahh, Focus might've suckered unsuspecting moviegoers at the multiplex with an amped-up action ad campaign for this elegaic account of the last assignment of a hit man (George Clooney) - "The American" scored an impressive D- from Cinemascore as it became the number one film at the box...

Well, it’s not an official pack, but I was just over at Amazon (thanks to a tweet from Thomas Ikimi – director of Legacy), and saw that Legacy (starring Idris Elba), will be released on DVD, on December 28th (my birthday, don’t forget it ). And while on the Amazon Legacy page, I saw that the website is offering both Legacy and Luther (the BBC TV series, also starring Idris Elba) together for $43.98.

No savings however, because if you were to buy them individually, you’d pay $17.99 for Legacy and $25.99 for Luther – which adds up to exactly $43.98

Anywho… Luther will be released on November 23rd, on 2 discs, with a Trt of 360 minutes, so I guess the entire season is included. The disc cover nor Amazon really say.

The Legacy DVD unfortunately comes with zero extra features, which sucks, but so it goes…

To preorder your copies, click Here for Legacy,...

The day has come and you can take in one the best indie films I saw this year on the trail, and certainly a performance worthy of Oscar consideration.  Legacy, the new film from Thomas Ikimi and starring the brilliant Idris Elba as ex Black-Ops agent Malcolm Gray, is opening in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, D.C., and Elizabeth, N.J. today, with more cities hopefully to come.  You can find more ticket information here.  I was fortunate enough to catch this film at The Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and also have a lengthy conversation with...

Both have been covered previously on this blog. One seemed to appeal to most of you, the other didn’t as much.

Regardless of what you think you know of either, both open in theaters today, in limited releases, and you’re encouraged to go see one, or both of them this weekend to find out if your preconceptions are confirmed or negated.

I’ve seen one – Legacy (my review of it Here). And I’ll be giving N-Secure a look over the weekend, since New York is one of the cities in which it’s opening, with a review of it to follow sometime thereafter.

Legacy stars Idris Elba, and was written and directed by newcomer, Thomas Ikimi; N-Secure features an ensemble cast, including Lamman Rucker, Tempestt Bledsoe, Essence Atkins, Elise Neal, Cordell Moore, and others. It was written by Julius Lewis & Christine Taylor; David M. Matthews directed.

To...

This is turning out to be a big year for actor Idris Elba. After getting his start on British television, the actor came to the attention of American audiences thanks to his breakout role as "Stringer" on HBO's The Wire. This year, Elba has continued to work on television, popping up on The Big C and starring in the BBC series Luther, but he has also made a big splash on the big screen, co-starring in The Losers and Takers, and filming scenes alongside soon-to-be-superstar Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god Heimdall in Thor. Elba was also recently added to the cast of the upcoming sequel to Ghost Rider starring Nicolas Cage. In his latest movie, director Thomas Ikimi's tense political action thriller Legacy, Elba takes center stage in a role that showcases the full range of his acting abilities.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 10/11/2010 by BrentJS

Idris Elba | Thomas Ikimi...

Just got word from Clint Dyer (star of the film) that the riveting British drama Sus officially has USA distribution. CodeBlack Entertainment has acquired stateside rights to the film, which I hope will see theaters, even in a limited release, because it’s well worth a look!

I saw it back in July, and wrote an enthusiastic review of it, which you can read Here. No details on release dates yet.

That makes 2 UK-made films, with black British stars that CodeBlack has picked up for USA distribution – the other being Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy, starring Idris Elba, also a film I’ve seen, liked and reviewed on this blog. Good looking out Mr Clanagan and company… glad someone on this side of the pond is willing to take a chance on both titles.

Check out the trailer below, if you missed it the first time (as well as its new...

Legacy Movie PosterLondon's eighteenth Raindance Film Festival will host an assortment of thrillers, and chillers, with this year's event hosting over 200 titles. Among the titles Legacy stands out the most, as an undercover action film involving torture and espionage. Excitement aside, this film is directed by the up and coming Thomas Ikimi (Limbo) and starring are the London based actor Mem Ferda (Revolver), the Sierra Leone born Idris Elba and Eamonn Walker. To show that torture has a face, an exclusive photo from Legacy is below along with the film's trailer.

The synopsis for Legacy here:

"Malcolm Gray (Elba) is a former black ops officer who is living in a run down Brooklyn apartment. Years earlier, while hunting down an elusive arms and weapons dealer, a mission went horribly wrong that led to Gray being captured and tortured. In his work he has been responsible for some horrible crimes under his unit,...

The line-up for the 18th Raindance Film Festival was announced today at a press launch held at the May Fair Hotel in London. This years line-up includes 77 feature films, 69 UK premieres and 133 short films, special live events, exclusive Q&As and masterclasses.

The festival will run from September 29 – October 10.

Opening the festival on Wednesday 29th September is Jackboots On Whitehall – a satirical animation about an alternative history of World War II where the Nazis seize London and England must band together to prevent a full on invasion. Star voiceover cast includes: Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike,Richard E. Grant, Timothy Spall, Tom Wilkinson, Alan Cumming, Richard Griffiths, Stephen Merchant and Richard O’Brien. It will be followed by an after-party with live set from rising Us indie band stars Airborne Toxic Event and DJ set from one of the most influential DJs in the UK – Andrew Weatherall. The following day will...

Last Friday’s screening of Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy (which I’d been advertising on this blog prior) was a resounding success! Our best event ever, since the series (ActNow Presents: New Voices In Black Cinema) began last summer (2009); it was the best in terms of audience turnout, which obviously translates to stronger box office receipts.

Of course, screening a film with a star in Idris Elba certainly helped our cause; but the strength of the film, and the marketing efforts of the ActNow Foundation family should be credited as well!

The primetime 6:50 screening was completely sold-out! In fact, several folks who didn’t heed my warnings to buy their tickets in advance, hoping to do so in person, at the theater, had to be unfortunately turned away!

The response from the standing-room-only crowd, as the film screened, was exciting; and their questions afterward were thoughtful. We hoped Idris Elba would eventually show up,...

All our readers in the Chicagoland area will have a chance to finally see the film that Tambay just can’t stop raving about, Legacy, with Idris Elba, directed by Thomas Ikimi.

In an interview today in the Chicago Tribune with Elba, he revealed that the film will be screening in October at the Chicago International Film Festival, which will also screen the premiere of Qasim Basir’s Mooz-lum.

Elba also revealed that the film will soon be available on Comcast on Demand on cable TV, though he did not say when that would be.

Since we’re screening the film tonight, I thought I’d again share my review, which I originally posted back in April, after seeing the it at the Tribeca Film Festival. Here ya go…

So there I was, at the premiere of Thomas Ikimi’s taut thriller, Legacy, sitting about 6 rows from the stage, anxious to screen the film, and none other than Armond White walks past me, taking a seat a few rows ahead. If you’ve been reading this blog over the last year, you’ll know why this is worth mentioning

Also seated close by was Warrington Hudlin, who seemed to enjoy the film, unlike Armond White, who got up and walked out about 30 minutes in. I didn’t see him return! Obviously, I can’t say why he walked out; maybe he had to use the bathroom, and upon returning, took one of the seats in the rear,...

I’ve been plugging this a bit, so you all should be familiar with it by now. But, one last hoorah before showtime…!

Tonight in Brooklyn, NY – an ActNow: New Voices In Black Cinema screening series presentation. Thomas Ikimi’s Legacy, starring Idris Elba.

The film very recently got picked up for distribution by CodeBlack Entertainment, but with no release date announced yet. However if you’re in NYC today, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve been honored with 4 preview screenings of the film.

Screening times: 2Pm, 4:30Pm, 6:50Pm & 9:30pm.

Thomas Ikimi will be present for all screenings; however, the Q&A after the 6:50 screening is sponsored by Shadow And Act, and, I, yours truly, will be conducting it. So, you certainly don’t want to miss that!

Tickets are $12 general admission; $8 for Bam Cinema Club members. You are encouraged to purchase in advance,...

And we have a winner! The week-long contest to win 2 tickets to attend the preview screening of Legacy is over, and to remind you of what the question was: In Legacy, Idris Elba is joined by one of his co-stars from The Wire. Who is that co-star? I want both the full name of the character he plays on The Wire, as well as the real life actor who plays him.

There were 18 responses, and the winner, chosen randomly, is Paula Simmons. Congrats Paula. Check your email inbox for what you’re to do to claim your prize.

For the rest of you… I hope you will still make it out to one of the screenings – the 4th installment in the ActNow: New Voices In Black Cinema screening series (which myself and fellow Shadow And Act contributor Curtis John are co-curators of, by the way) here in Brooklyn, New York.

Below we have the first ever trailer for Idris Elba’s new action thriller Legacy.

When a military effort to tackle a British-born Ukrainian arms dealer ends catastrophically, Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray lands in a military hospital to overcome the torture he was subjected to. After nearly a year, Gray returns to Brooklyn and moves into a rundown apartment to reflect on the inconsistencies of the botched assignment. But Gray soon gets caught up in another impossible mission: to expose the corruption of a high-powered senator on the verge of announcing his presidential campaign. …A senator who also happens to be his brother.

The filmis written and directed by Thomas Ikimi and recently appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Along with Elba the film also stars Eamonn Walker, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Clarke Peters, Richard Brake and Julian Wadham.

Legacy will hit limited U.S. theaters on October 21. [source: CinemaBlend]...

This … is not gonna end well for Idris Elba (soon to hit the bigtime as the new Alex Cross). You can almost see the tragic ending just by watching these two trailers for Elba’s new movie, the thriller “Legacy” from writer/director Thomas Ikimi.Nevertheless, the film looks like one hell of a tightly paced, atmospheric thriller, and I’m glad to see Ikimi do another film after 2004′s low-budget “Limbo”, one of those films that looks a million bucks better than its actual budget. Theatrical trailer (Cinemablend) and a 4-minute extended promo trailer for Elba’s “Legacy” below. When a military effort to tackle a British-born Ukrainian arms dealer ends catastrophically, Black Ops soldier Malcolm Gray lands in a military hospital to overcome the torture he was subjected to. After nearly a year, Gray returns to Brooklyn and moves into a rundown apartment to reflect on the inconsistencies of the botched assignment.

Upcoming action thriller "Legacy (2010)" has been previewed in a full trailer. An exclusive courtesy of Cinema Blend, the video gives a look at the praised performance of Idris Elba who stars as Malcolm Gray in the film.

A former Black Ops operative, Gray lives in a run-down apartment in Brooklyn after he and his team mates were captured and tortured when they were sent to hunt down an elusive arms dealer. Now back home, he has a new mission which is to take down the man responsible for his capture, a man who also happens to be his brother.

Directed and written by Thomas Ikimi, "Legacy" also has the likes of Eamonn Walker, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Julian Wadham and Richard Brake on the cast ensemble. The movie was screened at recent Tribeca Films Festival and will hit limited U.S. theaters on October 21.

A couple of months ago, after yet another in the interminable line of trailers for The Takers, Tk suggested that it was time to establish an official "Save Idris Elba" campaign. In light of the trailer below, for Elba's upcoming film Legacy, I'd posit that the campaign may already be working.

The trailer hits the right elements of giving you just enough to be interested, but not enough to give much of the story. The core of the story is that Elba plays a soldier with a dark past, whose brother is an up and coming politician. The bulk of the story takes places in a single room apartment in which Elba's character holes up. It's already hit the indie film circuit and has gotten excellent reviews, and in particular critics have highlighted Elba's performance as outstanding,

The film has an interesting bit of history. Elba himself is one of the producers,...

Thanks to CinemaBlend, we now have the full-length trailer for the upcoming "Legacy" thriller, starring Idris Elba (The Losers, RocknRolla) and Eamonn Walker (Cadillac Records, Lord of War). Check it out below. Plot: Elba stars as Malcolm Gray, a former Black Ops operative living in a run-down apartment in Brooklyn. On his last mission, he and his team were tasked with hunting down an elusive arms dealer, but things went horribly wrong when they are captured and tortured. Now back home, he has a new mission: take down the man responsible for his capture, a man who also happens to be his brother (Walker). The new movie is written and directed by Thomas Ikimi and recently appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival. It has been picked up for distribution and will get a limited release in October. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here.