Detroit premiere: John Boyega admits he ‘needed’ Kathryn Bigelow’s gritty riot drama after Star Wars role

John Boyega has said that Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit was the “project he needed” after his role in the Star Wars franchise.

The London-born star, 25, credits the role for giving him a “new perspective” on acting as he walked the red carpet at the London premiere on Wednesday night.

“I needed this project to give me perspective and give me a new way of working and a different process and to be surrounded by different actors,” said Boyega.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Will Poulter since the beginning – he knows that.”

The film chronicles the five-day riots that took place in 1967, following a police raid on an unlicensed bar, marking one of the deadliest and longest riots in US history.

Boyega admitted that he tried to bring an element of social commentary to every role that he takes on, even smash hit blockbusters like Star Wars.

“With sci-fi ,the best sci-fi does have social commentary so there still is that mentality that you bring to each project, but for me there’s a consistency in work ethic and I do not work below it and that is something that is serious with each project that I do,” he said.

“I only like to be in things that I want to watch. It’s the same kind of commitment that you need for a Star Wars that you would need for a Detroit.”

Boyega admitted that one of the main draws was working with Oscar-winning Hurt Locker director, Bigelow, before he even knew what the project was.

“I think for most of us it was the ‘untitled Kathryn Bigelow project’ and to be honest if your name's not popping like that then I’m probably not going to read that script. It said Kathryn Bigelow on it so I opened it.”

Speaking about the unflinching subject matter, Bigelow said: “I never thought about it as entertainment. I thought about it as a dramatisation of true events.

“The script is based on research, court documents, testimonies and the character that John Boyega plays and the character Hannah Murray plays are people that we met with.”

Boyega and Bigelow were joined on the red carpet at Curzon Mayfair by co-stars Poulter, Hannah Murray and Jack Reyor.