Forest Whitaker to Play Idi Amin in Film

Posted on April 28, 2005

It was announced today that Forest Whitaker will star as the tyrannical and mercurial Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. The project was developed for several years by Film Four, is being financed by both Film Four and DNA, and will be distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. James McAvoy will appear opposite Whitaker as a Scottish doctor who unwittingly becomes Amin's closest advisor. Based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name and adapted by Peter Morgan (The Deal) and Jeremy Brock (Mrs. Brown), the film will be helmed by Oscar-winning documentary director Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void).


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