Idris Elba’s 22Summers & Chiwetel Ejiofor Board Acclaimed Animated Short Film The Brown Dog as Executive Producers

WeTransfer announces that Idris Elba and his 22Summers and Chiwetel Ejiofor have come aboard as Executive Producers on its latest film commission The Brown Dog, a short animated film executive produced by WeTransfer. The film features the late Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) in his last featured performance, and Elba and Ejiofor are the latest to join executive producer Steve Buscemi in honoring the late actor.

As a tribute to what would have been Williams’ 58th birthday, The Brown Dog is now available for everyone to stream at WeTransfer’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwICUPNuGIQ.

Co-directed by award-winning documentarian Nadia Hallgren, the director of the Emmy nominated Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, and creative director Jamie-James Medina (The xx, FKA twigs, Sampha), The Brown Dog is their first work of fiction.

Joining Hallgren and Medina is a world-class team of collaborators including animator Fons Schiedon (Mickey: The Story of a Mouse) and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey. Steve Buscemi also provides a supporting voice role, reuniting with his former Boardwalk Empire co-star.

The Brown Dog made its World Premiere at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), as a finalist in their annual HBO Short Film Award lineup, its New York Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, International Premiere at the Raindance Festival in London, England and its Midwest Premiere at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival in Indianapolis, In, where it qualified for the Academy Awards by winning the Grand Prize for Animated Short.

Rendered in a palette of saturated yellow and dead-of-night black, it is Mr. Williams’s unforgettable cadence that drives The Brown Dog. He voices the main character “NOBODY,” the night watchman for an upscale apartment complex, whose feelings of isolation spark an existential crisis. Cold and alone, NOBODY goes in search of a mysterious brown dog, taking us on a riveting tour of an unraveling mind at work. The film itself is a celebration of Mr. Williams and the deep truth he brought to every character he inhabited — only his voice could speak so quietly but profoundly to the experiences of those living on the margins of the American dream.

Idris Elba said: “When I was approached to come on board as an executive producer for The Brown Dog, it felt like a natural, emotional connection to Michael K. Williams, my dear friend and co-star from The Wire. Michael had such a unique gift — he brought soul, depth, and honesty to every role he played, and it’s an honor to continue his legacy through this film. The Brown Dog is not just a story about survival and friendship; it’s a tribute to Michael’s spirit, his artistry, and the lasting impact he had on all of us. I’m proud to help bring this beautiful, poignant story to life and ensure that Michael’s voice is heard, even after he’s gone.”

Chiwetel Ejiofor said: “Michael K. Williams understood that bringing truth to a character was real work. That’s how talented of an actor he was. It is this same depth of his spirit that you experience onscreen in The Brown Dog. Michael’s NOBODY speaks to our times. He conveys a deep sense of isolation and frustration with the world, but matched with a real human need for connection. You hear Michael as soon as you hear NOBODY’s voice. The Brown Dog is such a beautiful tribute to Michael’s talent, and I’m glad to be a part of a team that is continuing his legacy.”

WeTransfer, through its arts platform WePresent, has a history of commissioning short films that have played at prestigious film festivals and won awards. Their short film commission The Long Goodbye with Riz Ahmed, became the first brand film to win an Academy Award in 2022, in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Together with the filmmakers of The Brown Dog, WeTransfer acted as executive producers to bring the vision to life.

The Brown Dog was produced by Nadia Hallgren and Jamie-James Medina for SOUNDVIEW projects with Michael Stirton, and executive produced by Holly Fraser, Damian Bradfield, Alex Mattinson and Phil van der Krogt at WeTransfer, Steve Buscemi and Wren Arthur for Olive Productions, Idris Elba for 22Summers and Chiwetel Ejiofor.