Idris Elba’s long-in-the-works biopic of Nelson Mandela is finally moving forward. THR reports that Elba will star as Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom, with production set to begin on May 26th. Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) is onboard to direct, and the 15-week shoot will take place in the same locations where the drama originally unfolded. The film is based on Mandela’s autobiography and will cover Mandela’s life from childhood through his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

I think Elba’s a terrific choice to portray the South African president, and the film has the full support of Mandela. The story is described as “thrilling and ultimately joyous,” though when compared to Clint Eastwood’s Invictus it really won’t take much to see Long Walk to Freedom as more thrilling/less boring. Elba will next be seen in the romantic comedy Think Like a Man, followed by Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim.

Amid such high profile entries as Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, and Ben Affleck’s The Town, the period drama The King’s Speech entered the Toronto International Film Festival relatively low on buzz.  Such is no longer the case, as the Tom Hooper-directed film just walked away from the fest with top honors: the “People’s Choice Award,” as voted by festival audiences.  The King’s Speech stars Colin Firth as King George VI as he reluctantly assumes the throne despite a nervous stammer.

Other big winners include writer/director Shawn Ku for his work on Beautiful Boy, and the post-apocalyptic vampire flick Stake Land, honored with the “Midnight Madness Award” by audiences.  Hit the jump for the official press release with the full list of winners.