Idris Elba, Mo Abudu team up for movie, ‘Dust to Dreams’

Idris Elba’s latest short film, Dust to Dreams, will soon be on your screens following the release of its official trailer.

Dust to Dreams trailer provides a glimpse into Idris Elba and Mo Abudu’s Nollywood blockbuster, where regrets, love and a chance at redemption, are excellently laced together.

The film is set in the heart of Lagos and follows a dying nightclub owner who entrusts her legacy to her reserved daughter. When a long-lost soldier father resurfaces, family tensions rise, but music becomes their redemption. A soulful duet binds them together, rekindling love, healing old wounds, and breathing new life into the legendary club.

Directed and written by Elba, Dust to Dreams features a cast that includes British singer-songwriter Seal, Nollywood stars Nse Ikpe-Etim and Eku Edewor, as well as Atlanta Bridget Johnson and Constance Olatunde, a former Nigerian Idol contestant making her acting debut.

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The film is produced by Abudu’s EbonyLife Films in partnership with the African Export-Import Bank’s Creative Africa Nexus (Canex) program, with Abudu serving as executive producer.

Speaking about the filming process, Elba noted: “Filming in Lagos just hits different.“
Elba has long advocated for restructuring African cinema, emphasising the need to move beyond colonial narratives and create authentic stories rooted in the continent’s culture and languages.

He believes African filmmakers must take ownership of their narratives and present them to global audiences with originality. His latest partnership with Abudu follows a 2023 collaboration aimed at developing emerging African talent through their respective production companies, Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media.

The British actor has worked with Nigerian filmmakers before, notably starring in Legacy (2010), a psychological thriller directed by Nigerian-British filmmaker Thomas Ikimi.

With Dust to Dreams, Elba and Abudu reaffirm their commitment to elevating African storytelling, presenting a compelling film that blends Hollywood and Nollywood influences while staying true to African authenticity.