2022 has been surprisingly dry in terms of horror movies. One mid-budget film may be looking to change that, asUniversalhas released a trailer for their survival horror filmBeaststarringSonic the Hedgehog 2’s Idris Elba as a man defending his daughters from a lion.
Elba’s career has seen him land bigger roles since his days playing John Luther. In the 2020s alone, Elba has voiced Knuckles inSonic the Hedgehog 2, starred as Bloodsport inThe Suicide Squad, and appeared as intimidating cowboy Rufus Buck in Netflix’sThe Harder They Fall. Elba has amassed many fans who have since imagined the actor in a variety of big roles, including James Bond andMass Effect’s Commander Shepard. Elba has shown no signs of slowing down, as later this year, he will also appear in George Miller’sThree Thousand Years of Longingas well as a film adaptation of his hit seriesLuther.
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InBeast, a brand-new horror film byUniversal, Elba stars as Dr. Nate Samuels, a widower who takes his daughters to South Africa in memory of his wife. It’s there, in the African wilderness, where they are attacked by a rogue lion, turning their trip into a struggle for survival. In addition to Elba, the film stars Sharlto Copley, an actor made famous for starring inNeill Blomkamp’sDistrict 9, as well as character actress Riley Keough.Beastis directed by Baltasar Kormákur—an action/adventure filmmaker known for2 Guns,Everest, andAdrift—and written byRampagescreenwriter Ryan Engle.
The rest of 2022 holds exciting potential for horror and thriller films. Universal Pictures is especially banking on horror films this year, as they’ll also release Scott Derrickson’sThe Black Phonein June andJordan Peele’sNopein July. Other upcoming horror films releasing in theaters includeBed Rest, about a pregnant woman haunted by ghosts,Bodies Bodies Bodies, about a group of teenagers reacting to murders occring during their mansion party, andSalem’s Lot, a new adaptation of the eponymous Stephen King story.
Beastlooks to be one of the most exciting movies of the summer season. IfBeastand other recent films like47 Meters DownandCrawlare any indications, the natural horror genremade famous byJaws, a genre where humans' position at the top of the food chain is called into question, still contains the untapped potential for yielding unforgettable new stories.
