Idris Elba Goes Head to Head with a Killer Lion in Upcoming Action Thriller, 'Beast'

First, we saw Idris Elba go up against a seasoned boxer in Fighter. And now, the British actor is taking things up a notch by stepping into the lion's den.

In case you haven't noticed the headlines, Elba will star as a widowed husband in the highly anticipated action thriller, Beast. In the film, Elba's character, Dr. Nate Samuels, brings his daughters with him to South Africa for a family getaway. However, their trip takes a dark turn when they discover that there are man-eating lions in their midst, determined to hunt them down.

The action-packed trailer starts off with a montage of feel-good scenes, where Nate and his girls finally land in Mopane. But the tone immediately shifts when Nate and his pal encounter a wounded stranger, who claims to have seen a devil. Then, within a few minutes, a ferocious lion charges after Nate, who barely escapes when he runs into the van.

Alongside Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries also star in the survival thriller. Baltasar Kormákur, who's best known for titles like Everest and 2 Guns, served as director while Ryan Engle penned the screenplay.

Not surprisingly, fans on social media are already buzzing about the new film and drawing comparisons to similar titles. One person wrote on Instagram, "This looks good. It almost like a remake of Ghost in the Darkness." Meanwhile, one fan tweeted, "I’m willing to pay so much money to watch Idris Elba fight a lion for two hours." Honestly, same.

Beast hits theaters on August 19. But until then, we'll be obsessively checking the official Instagram page for more behind-the-scenes footage.

Stay up-to-date on the latest entertainment news by subscribing here.

Idris Elba Has a New Thriller Series Coming to Apple TV+ (and We’re Definitely Intrigued)