Escape From Pretoria: Exclusive Image From Daniel Radcliffe Prison Break Drama

Daniel Radcliffe knows a thing or two about daring escapes – he pulled off plenty of them across the Harry Potter saga. But for his latest movie, he’s swapping Prisoners of Azkaban for the true story of political prisoner Tim Jenkin, who staged a breakout in 1979 after being held captive in apartheid-era South Africa. It’s the latest thrilling reinvention for an actor who has confounded expectation with every post-Potter movie – the star using his blockbuster clout to bring light to weird and wild stories.

“This was one of those scripts that you read and you’re like, ‘How is this not more widely known?’” Radcliffe tells Empire in the 100 Greatest Movies Of The Century issue. “With my specific career, Potter has afforded me to do my own thing, and I wanted to be part of helping to tell this story. That was enough of a reason for me.” He even got to meet the real Jenkin. “He’s actually in the film – he came on set for a few days, and we were filming in a real prison, and they put him in prison clothes again. I was like, ‘I guess this is nice?’ But he was totally up for it.”

Read more about how Radcliffe prepared for Escape From Pretoria in the new issue of Empire, on sale now. The film arrives in UK cinemas from 6 March.