Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Dec 11: English actor Idris Elba has revealed that he intends to step away from acting in the future to focus entirely on directing, a craft he says gives him a different kind of creative fulfilment.

The 53-year-old star, who is currently promoting his short film Dust To Dreams, said at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia that he hopes fans will understand his gradual transition behind the camera.

“I’m hoping that my fan base as an actor isn’t mad at me,” he said, as quoted by Daily Mail Online. “Eventually I want to transfer to be a director fully. I’ve been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it.”

Dust To Dreams marks Elba’s first directorial effort since 2018, but he already has his next feature lined up: This Is How It Goes, shot in Ghana and adapted from Neil LaBute’s 2005 film. Elba explained that he purchased the rights and reimagined the racial dynamics at the heart of the story.

“The original is about a Black man married to a white woman, and a white man moves into their house. I transposed it — now it’s a white man married to a Black woman, and a Black man comes to live with them. It’s an incredible examination of marriage, trust, and race,” he said.

Idris Elba, celebrated for his magnetic presence on screen, rose to international acclaim as Stringer Bell in The Wire and later with his Emmy-winning turn in Luther. His diverse portfolio spans Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, major franchises like Thor and Fast & Furious, and numerous acclaimed dramas. Off-screen, he is also a successful DJ and music producer under the name DJ Big Driis.

With his growing focus on storytelling and experimentation behind the camera, Elba now appears poised to enter a new chapter of his career — one shaped not just by the roles he plays, but by the stories he tells.