Idris Elba has revealed that he may soon step away from acting. Speaking during a Q&A session at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Wednesday, the 53-year-old star shared that he hopes to transition fully into directing in the near future.
Elba attended the festival in Saudi Arabia to promote his new short film Dust To Dreams, his second directorial project after Yardie. He explained that while acting will always be meaningful to him, directing has become the creative path he feels most drawn to. “I’m hoping my fan base isn’t mad at me, but eventually I want to be a full-time director,” he said. “I’ve been acting for a long time, and I still love it, but directing lets me flex different muscles and be part of the set in a completely new way.”
During the conversation, Elba also opened up about feeling out of his depth in political spaces. He said that despite often being invited into high-level discussions with global leaders, he sometimes feels like an imposter and is considering returning to school to broaden his understanding of human behavior and global systems. “I don’t want to be a politician,” he said, “but I want to educate myself so I can make real impact, especially with the activism and philanthropy work I’ve been involved in. I may study human science because understanding people is at the heart of everything.”
His new film, Dust To Dreams, explores the story of a young woman who inherits her late mother’s struggling Lagos nightclub, leading to an unexpected reunion with her estranged father, played by singer Seal. Elba said the project reflects his interest in nurturing Africa’s creative industries and supporting the policies that can help them grow across film, music, fashion, and media.
Despite talks of retirement, Elba is not leaving the screen just yet. A new Luther film is already in development, with production set to begin in February. The sequel will follow Luther: The Fallen Sun and will see the return of Ruth Wilson as the enigmatic Alice Morgan, alongside Dermot Crowley as Martin Schenk. The film is written by Neil Cross and directed by Jamie Payne, who promises another dark and gripping chapter in the franchise.
