[imagesource: Universal Pictures]

If a film along the lines of Jurassic Park had to be shot in South Africa, giant lions would be the obvious beast of choice.

That’s actually the premise behind Universal Pictures’ latest nailbiting blockbuster, Beast, starring Idris Elba fighting off a bloodthirsty lion in an attempt to survive and protect his two daughters.

All that, with our beloved country as the backdrop, naturally.

Elba’s character, Dr Nate Daniels, can be seen landing a plane in South Africa with his two girls,  Meredith, played by Iyana Halley (The Hate U Give, This is Us), and Norah, played by Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire, Percy Jackson), per Collider.

In an attempt to reconnect after the death of their wife and mom, they end up in a game reserve, but then all hell is let loose.

The game reserve is managed by Nate’s old friend Martin Battles, played by local gem Sharlto Copley (he also starred in District 9, Russian Doll and Chappie).

Keep an eye out for some distinctly South African landscapes and accents:

Beast will be in theatres on August 19.

If you saw Elba in the Northern Cape, Limpopo, or Cape Town last year, now you know why.

Elba is a fan of shooting movies in Mzansi, having been here before for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. He also starred in Long Walk to Freedom, where he was cast as Nelson Mandela.

[source:collider]