When we last saw Luther on our screens, in the series five finale, Idris Elba’s troubled detective had been arrested and sent to prison. Diehard fans have been left waiting nearly four years to find out what happened next to TV’s favourite anti-hero. But the wait is nearly over, as the psychological crime thriller will officially return next year.
Luther’s story will continue this time, however, in a feature film co-produced by Netflix and BBC Films. The idea for a Luther movie has been floated since 2013 but took a backseat until the series wrapped up in 2019. It was not until 2021 that Netflix confirmed its involvement with the project.
Luther: The Fallen Sun has now been given a release date of March 2023, and will be directed by Jamie Payne and written by creator, Neil Cross.
Only a handful of actors have been confirmed to star in Luther: Fallen Sun so far. Of course, Idris Elba will reprise his role as Luther, while Dermot Crowley also returns to his role as Schenk. Two more named actors are Cynthia Erivo, known for Bad Times at the El Royale and Harriet, and Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes actor Andy Serkis. Unfortunately, there’s still no news as to whether Ruth Wilson’s fan-favourite Alice will return. But we can only hope. Luckily there’s not long left to wait.
Back in 2021, speaking to MistaJam, Elba said: “I’m super excited and I hope the fans are sort of excited for that. It’s been a long time coming for a movie, so I’m excited about that. We’ve been making the show for 10 years, so we’re making a film.”
Due to being a co-production between Netflix and BBC Films, it’s unlikely Luther: Fallen Sun will release on Netflix UK. But we’ll all be finding out what happens next to DCI John Luther very soon regardless.