Cary Fukunaga’s ‘Beasts of No Nation’ Acquired by Netflix

Netflix is continuing to rack up film deals in a move that’s placing them shoulder to shoulder with other major distributors. Their latest acquisition could very well make the studio an awards contender next season, further legitimizing their film endeavors. The streaming service has just picked up Beasts of No Nation, the upcoming African drama from True Detective director Cary Fukunaga.

As Variety reports, Netflix has acquired the distribution rights for Fukunaga’s next film, Beasts of No Nation, starring Idris Elba. As part of the deal, the film will have a limited theatrical release before debuting on Netflix. Fukunaga shot the film last year in Ghana based on his own script, which centers on a young boy who’s forced to become a child soldier and is subsequently swept up in the civil war of an unnamed African country. The film also stars Abraham Attah and Richard Pepple, and is based on the novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iweala.

Fukunaga previously directed the acclaimed films Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre, and most recently helmed the entire first season of the HBO hit series True Detective. Up next, he’s adapting Stephen King’s classic horror novel It as a two-part feature film.

Also on Netflix’s upcoming film slate: the new Judd Apatow-produced Pee-wee Herman film, a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and new film projects from Adam Sandler, including Ridiculous 6.