Is Idris Elba Meeting with Quentin Tarantino to Star in ‘Django Unchained’?

It’s Sunday during a holiday weekend so why not run a spectacularly speculative unconfirmed story? All aboard?

The picture to the right was tweeted by Idris Elba (Thor, “The Wire”) ten hours ago as he boarded a flight headed to, as he said, “the destination of my fate…..ok…. a lil dramatic….destination of my life.” An hour earlier he posted a tweet saying, “Having one of the biggest meetings of my professional life today…meeting a very controversial director for a very controversial part.” Whatever could it be?

As Shadow and Act has also speculated, this seems it could only be a meeting for Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming spaghetti western, Django Unchained. However, like the folks at Shadow and Act, I don’t think of Tarantino as a “controversial director” per se, but what little bit I do know — and have read — of Django Unchained I would definitely say you could consider the role “controversial”.

Previously it was said Will Smith was the front-runner for the role of Django, a freed slave who teams up with a German bounty hunter (Christph Waltz) to take down an evil plantation owner.

Smith was said to be Tarantino’s first choice, but I’m sure the list didn’t end there.

While there is obviously nothing to take away from this than obvious speculation, I for one love Tarantino’s work so I tend to get a bit more excited about his films than I do many other directors.

Django Unchained is reportedly on is on the fast track with the Weinstein Co. already on board to distribute domestically and production expected to begin later this year. So far I don’t believe there have been any confirmed cast members, though Waltz seems like a lock, but Franco Nero, Keith Carradine, Treat Williams and Samuel L. Jackson have all been rumored for roles in the film. I’m sure we’ll know more soon enough, so stay tuned. In all likelihood Elba is meeting that “controversial” director right now and if a deal is made we could know about it very, very shortly.

If you’re unfamiliar with the current casting breakdown, I previously discussed it in much deeper terms right here.

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