Luther creator won’t rule out TV return but promises movie will be ‘bigger and better’

The creator of Luther has refused to rule out a TV return for Idris Elba’s detective, but has promised the upcoming film will be ‘bigger and better’.

Series five of the wildly popular drama aired in 2019 and its future on TV has been up in the air ever since – but fans are set to see a whole new side to the shady John Luther in a movie adaptation.

While there were originally plans to adapt creator Neil Cross’ novel The Calling, he’s decided on an original story instead.

‘I was interested in in adapting the prequel, because I thought it’d be a cool way to [approach it],’ he explained. ‘But, no, we’re going to do something bigger and better.’

Neil added to Radio Times of a potential TV return: ‘I think the thing with Luther is never to rule out anything. All we’ve ever wanted to do is, within the parameters that we’re given, make the best possible show.

‘What we’ve been able to do [with the movie] – having delivered every episode of Luther on budgets which are comically small – is to have a wider canvas and a bigger budget to tell the kind of stories that we we’ve always wanted to be able to tell.

‘And we’ve really been given the opportunity – while staying entirely true. I mean, Idris and I have shared this character for more than 10 years. And the key aspect of this whole conversation is primarily, how do we stay true to Luther?’

We’re so ready to see him take to the big screen – surely his exploits will only get all the more dramatic.

Idris, 48, confirmed plans for the Luther movie last year, although much has been kept under wraps.

He explained that they’re hoping to start production this September, telling Variety: ‘We go into production, fingers crossed, in September. I’m so excited about it, it’s been a long time coming.

‘We’re very, very close to pulling the green light on production.’

The BBC show first aired in 2010 and has so far run for five series with Idris as detective John Luther.

The star has won two Golden Globes and a Royal Television Society best actor award for his performance.

Here’s hoping we’ve got plenty of Luther still to come our way.

Luther is available for catch-up on BBC iPlayer.

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