Chiwetel Ejiofor is making his directorial debut and Netflix has just agreed to distribute the film.
Netflix announced that the streaming service will distribute Ejiofor’s upcoming film “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” which is based on the memoir of the same name by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. Adapted by Ejiofor, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” tells the story of a young boy. Willliam, that is thrown out of school after his family can longer pay the fees. The boy then sneaks back into the school’s library and researches how to create a windmill out of his father’s bicycle to save his village from famine.
We last heard that Ejiofor was going to direct the film way back in 2013. However, since then, word on the film has been quiet. But it appears that Ejiofor kept working behind the scenes to bring this project to life.
“William’s story represents, what has to be, the future in countries like Malawi: developing countries, overflowing with beauty and harboring enormous potential,” commented Ejiofor. “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” has already finished production and will be one of the few Netflix films to feature a theatrical distribution in the US and the UK. Joining Ejiofor in the cast are Maxwell Simba, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza, Joseph Marcell, and Noma Dumezweni.
As per Netflix tradition, there’s no release date set for Ejiofor’s “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” but it’s expected to be released in 2019.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Adapted from the bestselling book by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind follows 13-year-old William Kamkwamba (newcomer Maxwell Simba) who is thrown out of the school he loves when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to build a windmill which then saves his Malawian village from famine. The emotional journey of a father and his exceptional son at its heart, William’s tale captures the incredible determination of a boy whose inquisitive mind overcame every obstacle in his path.