Idris Elba’s Luther Series Getting A James Bond-Like Netflix Movie
The Giant Freakin Robot exclusive has some legs and Idris Elba will have his Luther series get a James Bond-like movie soon
This article is more than 2 years old
Since Daniel Craig announced he was leaving the James Bond franchise, there has been wide speculation among fans and the industry at large about who would fill those spy shoes. Idris Elba has been one of the names bandied about for the role over the last couple of years. While that news isn’t official, the actor might be getting the next-closest thing. Our original exclusive now has some legs, with insider Daniel Richtman reporting that Elba’s series Luther is getting a feature-length movie and the flick will have a Jason Bourne/ James Bond-like feel to it. Giant Freakin Robot had this info a few weeks ago.
While the timing of an Idris Elba movie here isn’t set, there is clearly work being done to expand the Luther series beyond just the serial nature of the original show. In Richtman’s reporting, they are actively looking for other roles to fill out the story. There are characters in consideration for the potential movie who aren’t necessarily part of the current cast. It includes a female detective who is at the head of an investigation into a major international crime boss. That latter character will be a truly evil villain, someone who is blackmailing and torturing people for his own gains. This guy has run afoul of the female investigator who will enlist Luther’s help with the case.
This Luther film looks like it will greatly expand the franchise’s universe, bringing the Idris Elba character into a more global situation where his particular brand of investigative skills and a moral and ethical code will come into play. The log lines were specific though that he continues to be against the use of firearms in his work in law enforcement. This would be one way we could see a divergence from the Jason Bourne/ James Bond comparison, though both of those characters have been known to throw down from time to time.
Idris Elba has starred on BBC’s Luther for five seasons. He plays John Luther, the chief inspector for the Serious and Serial Crime Unit. It is a darker show, blending the moral lines for the character in his quest to solve crimes. Elba is excellent in the role as a troubled but determined dude who has at times allowed himself to get too caught up in the quest for righting wrongs. It has landed him on the wrong side of even the law at times.
The Luther series on BBC runs in a limited format with just a few episodes per season. The original season had six episodes, but three of the next four ran only four episodes (Season Four was only two). The stories are quick-hitting for the season, giving it almost an extended movie-like feel anyway. And critics have been quick to praise nearly everything about the series from Elba’s star turn to the writing and overall tone. It has averaged 88% across the board on Rotten Tomatoes.
Before he stars in this Luther movie, Idris Elba is plenty busy. He’s in post-production on a couple of different flicks. One is Three Thousand Years of Longing, George Miller’s next film. The other is The Harder They Fall, a Western that features a stacked cast. And, of course, there is The Suicide Squad which hits theaters this week. Elba plays Bloodsport in what could go down as one of the best superhero/ comic book movies we have seen in some time.
