Idris Elba is set to produce and narrate the National Geographic docuseries ‘The Color Of Victory: Heroes Of WW2’.
The project, which will be produced by October Film and the actor’s Green Door Pictures, will cover unsung heroes of colour at Dunkirk, Pearl Harbor and D-Day during the Second World War, and the 51-year-old star is looking forward to shining a spotlight on their stories.
Speaking to Deadline, Idris – whose grandfather fought in the war – told how he was pitched the documentary when October showed him a photo of soldiers from the war and asked “What do you think is missing from these pictures?”
The ‘Luther’ actor replied: “The answer of course was people of colour and I realised I didn’t know any stories about them from World War Two.
“So this felt like a genuinely fresh and original way into a perennial subject.”
Each episode of the programme will focus on three specific people via premium dramatisation, character portraits and archive material.
Idris will also highlight how their experiences of war directly influenced the post-war movements for freedom and equality for people of colour all over the globe.
Previously, the ‘Molly’s Game’ actor had worked with National Geographic for 2013’s ‘King of Speed’, which showed the history of underground racing, and how the need for speed impacted the modern motorsport world.
Meanwhile, Idris recently revealed he has been in therapy for a year because of his obsession with work.
