David Oyelowo and Ava DuVernay are reuniting for a new thriller film titled "Heist of Benin," more than a decade after their Oscar-winning collaboration on "Selma." The film is set in modern-day London and described as a thriller that intertwines art, love, and restitution. DuVernay will direct from a screenplay by Jesse Quiñones, based on an original idea. Oyelowo will star and produce under his Yoruba Saxon banner, with Studiocanal financing and distributing. The project was announced during Canal+’s ORIGINAL+ presentation in Paris.
The project matters because it marks the first feature film collaboration between DuVernay and Oyelowo since the acclaimed "Selma," and it centers on themes of art restitution, a highly relevant topic in the art world amid ongoing debates about the return of looted cultural heritage, particularly artifacts from Benin. The film's focus on a heist involving art restitution brings mainstream attention to provenance and colonial-era loot, potentially influencing public discourse and awareness around these issues.