Idris Elba & Mo Abudu Forge African TV & Film Partnership

deadline.com:

Idris Elba and Mo Abudu have partnered on a landmark initiative to “empower and uplift talent from Africa and the Diaspora.” The Luther star’s Green Door Pictures will tie with Abudu’s EbonyLife Media on the plan – the first of its kind in the continent – which will feature a development slate of TV and film projects along with continent-wide training programs.

The partnership takes a two-fold approach: building TV and film capacity and producing “large-scale global productions.” Green Door and EbonyLife’s development slate will tell stories set in Africa or the African diaspora and will be targeted at the global market, focusing on “bringing authentic, Afro-centric stories that resonate with audiences around the world.” Meanwhile, the pair will use EbonyLife’s Creative Academy in Lagos, Nigeria as a model for a set of similar programs that will be replicated across the continent.

New education and mentoring initiatives will launch to help foster both the lost generation and a new generation of creative professionals in Africa and the diaspora.

Abudu, whose EbonyLife outfit has deals in place with the likes of Netflix, Sony Pictures Television and Westbrook Studios, has been a champion of African TV and film for years and is currently working on a Starz drama about Queen Nzinga, which counts 50 Cent as EP. “It’s our mission to offer the best in industry education, mentorship, and production opportunities, so that our graduates can become valuable contributors to the global media landscape,” said Abudu. “We plan to hit the ground running and explore the very best that African and Black stories have to offer global audiences.” Elba said he has “always been passionate about using my platform to make a positive impact.”