Netflix Acquires Rights To Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Directorial Debut

Seems like Netflix is on a spending spree again, and this time it has picked up the directional debut of Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Ejiofor, known for 12 Years a Slave, scripted The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, which is based on a book of the same name by Malawian innovator William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.

The story follows the life of Kamkwamba who taught himself how to create a windmill to power his home. He used local tools to create the turbine, which garnered the attention of the nation and later international media and his fame skyrocketed.

According to Netflix’s description of the movie, “The film highlights the power of education and individual determination to change the trajectory of a life,” and inspires audiences to  “imagine a future where every child, in every village, has access to knowledge and to opportunities to put that knowledge to work”.

His inspiring life story caught the eye of Ejiofor who said:

“William’s story represents, what has to be, the future in countries like Malawi: developing countries, overflowing with beauty and harboring enormous potential. A global story, such as this, requires a global platform and I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix on bringing William’s extraordinary tale of determination and inventiveness to audiences worldwide.”

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind stars Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza, Joseph Marcell, and Noma Dumezweni.