Idris Elba is set to star in and produce a new untitled spy film set in Africa for Apple TV+

Idris Elba is set to star in a new spy film, it was revealed by Variety on Saturday.

The actor, 47, will both act in and produce the untitled project, which is described as a ‘spy movie with romance’ and is set in Africa.

Apple have won the rights to distribute the movie – which will also be produced by Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon for Genre Films – after a bidding war.

Both Idris and Simon have first-look deals with the streamer to produce series and features for Apple TV+, with Kinberg in the early stages of an untitled sci-fi series for the platform. 

It marks a return to the spy genre for Simon, who previously wrote Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and he has also directed the upcoming spy movie 355, which is slated for release next year and stars Jessica Chastain and Penelope Cruz. 

Idris has been strongly tipped for the role of another famous spy, James Bond, in the past, but claimed in 2016 that he felt he was ‘too old’ to take the part.

Last month, Idris expressed to Digital Spy his desire to bring his television series Luther to the big screen.

He said: ‘I’ve maintained that I’d like to see it come to a film. That’s what I think we’re headed towards, a film. 

‘I’m looking forward to making that happen. It is happening.’

Elba – who played the role of DCI John Luther in the BBC show – has also previously said he feels that the potential project has traits of classic crime movies and suggested that he could take the character away from the UK.

He explained: ‘Luther has all the ingredients to echo those classic films of the 90s like Seven and Along Came A Spider.

‘I think what we’d like to attempt is use that as a blueprint to create it. It will be more murder, more Volvos, more frowning Luther.

‘Essentially we just want to try and take it to a much bigger remit and scale and perhaps international as well.’