Idris Elba Shares What He Wants Viewers to Learn About Fatherhood After Watching 'Beast'

Idris Elba is back on the big screen and this time the actor reaches new heights as an action star. The Will Packer-produced Beast stars Elba as recently widowed Dr. Nate Daniels who with his two teenage daughters travel to a South African game reserve managed by Martin Battles, an old family friend, and wildlife biologist. However, what begins as a journey of healing soon turns into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of bloodthirsty poachers, begins stalking them.

Although fans are expecting to watch Elba's heroism and the plenty of jumps the lion will bring, Beast is not only a story about survival, but also fatherhood. We had a chance to chat with Elba to discuss the new film, how he prepared for the role and what we can learn about fatherhood after watching Beast.

Elba shares what he learned about survival after playing Dr. Nate Samuels.

Panic is useless. Panic and fear are useless as well. Because both of those two can be restrictive to your thinking. You start panicking or you start getting too fearful. You just can't figure out what the logic is and sometimes a logic might be staring you in the face, but you're actually just too caught up in something else to actually see it.

On what viewers can learn about fatherhood after watching Beast, Idris shares:

Fatherhood in this movie does not look like a hero. My character does not look like a hero. He is practically running and screaming just like the girls. But guess what? He is a hero. He is fighting for his children. And he's fighting the only way he knows how. He doesn't know how to hold a gun or karate chop a lion. But he does know that he loves his children. And if you don't look cool, trying to save them, then so be it. And that includes sacrificing himself to get eaten by this lion So for fatherhood, I think fathers can watch it and be like, 'Look, man, you watch this movie and know that no matter how you have to show up, just show up. Don't matter if you don't have the big bouquet, just show up.' Sometimes, especially when you have older children, it's a thankless task. She doesn't remember when she was two and you were the idol. She doesn't remember that.

Elba also shared how he prepared for the role.

It was a layered approach. There are so many elements of this film that... you rehearse the fight sequence then you rehearse it with the stunt operator, and then you rehearse it without the stock operator. We shoot all of it like that together. Mind you, remember my character doesn't know how to fight, so even though I was fit, it was really about him just looking like he has nothing left. So it was actually quite demanding mentally and physically.

Check out the full interview.

Beast hits theaters Friday, August 19.