Idris Elba To Star In & Direct Action-Comedy ‘In Laws’; A Higher Standard Launching For AFM

EXCLUSIVE: BAFTA and Emmy nominee Idris Elba is set to star in and direct the action-comedy In Laws, which A Higher Standard is launching for sales ahead of the American Film Market. Principal photography is scheduled to start in March 2027 in Spain. Additional casting is in process. In Laws “follows Carson Hughes (Elba), a blacklisted secret agent who gets a shot at redemption. Forced to team up with a young, by-the-book rookie, Carson must put aside their differences to stop a deadly plot. But as the unlikely duo races against the clock, they discover they have more in common than they ever imagined—including getting to a wedding neither can afford to miss, as long as they don’t kill each other first.” Luther, Thor and Hijack star Elba is producing with Gina Carter under their 22Summers banner alongside Jeffrey Greenstein of A Higher Standard and Mark Fasano of Nickel City Pictures. This marks the fourth feature Elba will have directed after Yardie (2018), the upcoming Above the Below for Lionsgate (Dec 4, 2026), and the upcoming untiled Apple Original Films project starring Elba, Wunmi Mosaku and Charlie Cox (TBD 2027). Watch on Deadline A Higher Standard is handling worldwide sales. The script is penned by Jeffrey Greenstein and Eshom & Ian Nelms, based on an original screenplay by Adrian Speckhert and Cory Hughes. “Gina and I are really excited to make movies that make people laugh, and there’s nothing I love more than a great buddy comedy. It’s a genre I’ve always loved, and one we’re excited to bring our own spin to,” said Elba. “This is one of those projects where the stars have truly aligned, it’s an idea Idris and I have talked about a lot and there’s no better setup than having him direct and star in this fun, two-hander action comedy” added Greenstein. A Higher Standard’s recent releases include the action thriller The Get Out, starring Russell Crowe, Luke Evans, Teresa Palmer, Nina Dobrev and Aaron Paul, and Runner with Owen Wilson and Alan Ritchson. The latest production to wrap is dark thriller Sunny starring Angelina Jolie. Elba and Carter’s 22Summers recently wrapped on Luther – The Day will Come for Netflix. The company has a number of theatre projects in development and in 2025 received two Olivier Award nominations. Idris Elba is repped by The Artists Partnership, WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.