Idris Elba & Regina King Interview: The Harder They Fall
Netflix's The Harder They Fall explores the Old West through the eyes of Black cowboys. The film uses real cowboys including Nat Love played by Jonathan Majors, Stagecoach Mary played by Zazie Beetz, and Rufus Buck played by Idris Elba to tell a fictional story. Besides Majors, Beetz, and Elba, the ensemble film also stars Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, and Edi Gathegi. The Harder They Fall is currently playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Netflix on November 3.
Screen Rant spoke to The Harder They Fall stars Idris Elba and Regina King about working with first-time director Jeymes Samuels and what drew them to the film.
Screen Rant: This movie is so cool. It's the Avengers of cowboys and cowgirls. It's just got a really cool style, and it was so awesome - especially watching this amazing cast. What was the most attractive or alluring bit of doing this movie?
Regina King: Jeymes Samuels' vision. Just the movie itself; the story itself. It's a genre that has been around forever, but still the story is fresh and something that you've never seen before. And I've never seen a director or writer just look at things in music the way Jeymes does. When he tells you about the film, he tells you about it in the music.
And Idris Elba was already set to play Rufus Buck, so those are the two biggest reasons. But then you see the film, and it became many reasons after that.
Idris Elba: Again, it's a melting pot of things. I've been attracted to this project before it got any sort of daylight; before it was even written as a script. And then, of course, as it develops, I'm committed to Jeymes' vision and could see his vision growing.
And he pulled together the most incredible support team for his vision, which includes James Lassiter, Jay-Z, the Netflix team. And then Regina is, without a doubt, a big draw for me because we've worked together before and wanted to work together again. This felt like something that - although it's not incredible amounts of real estate, in terms of us working together on screen - was significant enough and was supportive to a new talent and a new voice.
All of that together was the real appeal to me.
Idris, I was very pleasantly surprised when I logged on one day to the internet to read that you're voicing Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Forgive me, but you have a very sexy voice, so I'm intrigued about what your Knuckles' take is about to be. Is there anything you can reveal? Is he English?
Idris Elba: Honestly, I cannot say. Contractually, I cannot say anything. But I wouldn't say he was sexy. I don't think I'm going for that. That's for sure.