‘Luther’ Returns In Film For Netflix With Idris Elba, Andy Serkis & Cynthia Erivo (photo credits: Terrell Mullin, Laurie Sparham courtesy of Netflix)
Idris Elba’s unhinged and unconventional detective ‘Luther‘ is set to return for a new feature film on Netflix the streaming service has announced.
The original series starred Idris Elba as DCI John Luther, a brilliant, but flawed detective who has the uncanny ability to think like the criminal’s he’s pursuing, but his obsessive commitment to the case is often to the detriment of everything else in his life. Over the course of five seasons, Luther has been through the wringer, losing friends, family and colleagues, and even trying to leave his old life behind. Luther is a deeply troubled man, a philosophical cop possessed by the insoluble problem of evil and justice in a Godless world.
This new film, based on the multi-award-winning international hit crime series created by Neil Cross (‘Mosquito Coast’) for the BBC, will continue in a feature film at Netflix under its pact with Chernin Entertainment. Cross is set to write the movie, with long-time ‘Luther’ director and Emmy Nominee Jamie Payne (‘The Alienist’, ‘Outlander’) behind the camera.
The movie will see the Golden Globe Nominated Idris Elba back in the titular role, and joined by Grammy, Tony, Emmy Winner and two-time Academy Award Nominee Cynthia Erivo (‘Harriet’, ‘Genius’), along with Emmy Award Nominee Andy Serkis (‘The Lord of the Rings trilogy’, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’). No news yet on what roles the two actors will be playing.
The drama, which premiered in 2010, has completed five seasons on the BBC. Elba has won two Golden Globes and a Royal Television Society best actor award for his performance in the titular role. We last saw Luther back in 2019 on a case that saw a series of monstrous killings becomes ever more audacious, as Luther and new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday were confounded by a tangle of leads and misdirection that seems designed to protect an unspeakable horror.
The new film is produced in association with the BBC, with exec producers Dan Finlay (for Chernin Entertainment) Priscilla Parish (for BBC Studios) and Kris Thykier. Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready, Neil Cross, and Idris Elba serve as producers.
The announcement of Luther follows the huge success of Chernin Entertainment’s ‘Fear Street’ trilogy which debuted on Netflix this summer. Chernin and Netflix are also working together on ‘Slumberland’, a fantasy comedy-adventure starring Jason Momoa due to land in 2022.
We don’t know exactly when the ‘Luther‘ film will premiere, but it is likely to be in 2022 on Netflix worldwide. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add it via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
