Idris Elba Unveils Ambitious Plans to Build ‘African Odeon’ Cinema Chain, Launches Creator-Focused Tech Ventures at SXSW London

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Idris Elba has grand plans for Africa’s entertainment sector. During SXSW London, the multi-talented individual shared his bold ambition to create a network of movie theaters spanning Africa, tackling what he refers to as a significant void in cinematic presentation.

Elba expressed his desire to construct the African Odeon during a panel conversation. He highlighted that the entire continent of Africa has less than 3,000 cinemas, representing an enormous untapped market. He felt that the cinema experience that we’ve all enjoyed should be made accessible to a new generation.

The actor famed for ‘Luther’ aspires to go beyond merely constructing theaters. Instead, he intends to establish a holistic environment that nurtures African artists throughout the entire creative process, from production to distribution. By utilizing data, he seeks to demonstrate the market potential to international collaborators.

At the heart of Elba’s approach lies the Akuna Wallet, a fintech platform built on blockchain technology tailored for Africa’s artistic sectors. This platform, named after Elba’s middle name, symbolizes the African aspect of his commercial ventures.

Elba mentioned that they’re working on figuring out a way to construct a data set, which when viewed by companies and conglomerates, would demonstrate the viability of their operations in Africa. The wallet is designed to address the persistent payment issues across borders that have been a hurdle for African artists.

Music marketer Vyrusky, an early user of the platform, discussed its tangible effects: “In music marketing, there’s often a challenge. For instance, a producer based in London wants to fund a promotion in Ghana. However, you need someone in Ghana who has that amount readily available, and by the time you arrange it, you might be a week or two weeks late.

Kwadwo Owusu-Agyeman, head of Akuna Venture, underscored the broader significance of their platform: “We’re addressing the challenges faced by African creatives at present, but in essence, the infrastructure underlying all our creative industries needs many of the same components – rights management and distribution.

In Ghana, the wallet is undergoing testing within a special regulatory setting known as a “sandbox,” with backing from the nation’s central bank.

I myself, like Elba, have showcased Talking Scripts – an AI-driven application that my collaborator Stefan Schwartz and I developed to tackle hurdles faced by professionals with dyslexia in the film industry. Being dyslexic ourselves, we both found the conventional script reading methods challenging and lengthy.

Elba openly confessed that understanding these scripts is quite challenging for him. Over time, dyslexia has developed into something that somewhat complicates the task when he’s required to read multiple scripts simultaneously.

The application enables users to assign various artificial intelligence voices to characters, resulting in an immersive auditory experience aiding in script understanding and character growth. Manon Dave, as the head of technology, detailed that this platform employs user-friendly interface designs comparable to popular music streaming applications.

Dave mentioned they adapted the user-friendly interface typically found in consumer apps for their design strategy,” or simply, “Dave explained they incorporated common features from consumer apps into their design.

As a movie enthusiast, I can affirm that this tool caters to a wider range of accessibility requirements. Just like those of us who are neurodiverse, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or English isn’t our first language, we often share the same apprehension when it comes to engaging with material. However, this tool is designed to make content more inclusive and easier for all of us to enjoy.

The Talking Scripts application has found its way onto significant film sets. As Schwartz disclosed, it was employed during the making of “The Boys,” where team members utilized it to quickly grasp script updates as they moved from one set location to another.

Both endeavors echo Elba’s belief that “creativity serves as a catalyst for transformation,” a concept he discussed during his SXSW London talk. He underscored the significance of nurturing young creative minds to perceive and leverage their imaginative worth economically.

Elba emphasized the importance of encouraging young individuals to recognize that their true wealth lies within themselves, in their innovative abilities. He noted that many young people underestimate the vastness of their imagination and its worth, especially when they collaborate and bring their ideas to life.”

Or:

“Elba pointed out that young people should understand their wealth is not just material possessions but also their creative skills. He explained that they often don’t realize how immense their imaginations are and how much value their ideas hold when they work together to create things.

In the future, Elba views artificial intelligence as a revolutionary influence on African cinema. “For the past two years, I’ve been predicting that artificial intelligence will propel the creative industry,” he stated, imagining collaborative production methods that blend conventional filmmaking techniques with AI technology.

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2025-06-05 10:17