Netflix Picks Up Chiwetel Ejiofor's Directorial Debut THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND

Many geeks will recognize Chiwetel Ejiofor for his roles in Serenity, 12 Years a Slave, and Doctor Strange among many others. Now, we’ll get to know Ejiofor as a director as he makes his directorial debut with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Based off the book by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, here’s a synopsis:

“The film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, and follows 13-year-old Kamkwamba (played by newcomer Maxwell Samba) who is thrown out of school in Malawi when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell (Ejiofor), to build a windmill, which then saves his Malawian village from famine.”

In addition to directing the film, Ejiofor wrote the screenplay and will star alongside Lily Banda, Noma Dumezweni, Philbert Falakeza, Joseph Marcell, Aissa Maiga, and Lemogang Tsipa. The film was shot last year in Malawi and Netflix has recently acquired the global rights (with some exceptions) to the film.

Ejiofor said this about the story:

“William’s story represents, what has to be, the future in countries like Malawi: developing countries, overflowing with beauty and harboring enormous potential. A global story, such as this, requires a global platform and I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix on bringing William’s extraordinary tale of determination and inventiveness to audiences worldwide.”

Source: THR