See Idris Elba Return To His Best Role
Idris Elba returns as Luther for a Netflix original movie Luther: Fallen Son.
Idris Elba has had many amazing roles over the years, including roles in major genre projects such as Star Trek Beyond, The Suicide Squad, and even the sublimely-insane theatrical adaptation of Cats. He might never have had these high-profile roles, though, without the high-profile success of Luther, a BBC detective show that began airing in 2010 and had its final season in 2017. Now, Idris Elba took to Twitter to announce there will be a Luther movie that releases in theaters on February 24, 2023, and then on Netflix on March 10, 2023.
The Twitter link in question includes a brief video, but it doesn’t tell us much about the movie itself. Mostly, we see Idris Elba emerging from the shadows as Luther and giving us his best stone-cold stare before a whispery voice says “something’s coming.” As Luther turns back into the shadows, the voice continues by saying “You see me now?” After that, we get the full title of the movie (Luther: Fallen Son) as well as the aforementioned release dates.
In case you were curious, it was Netflix that funded this feature adaptation of the hit TV series, and this was likely not a decision the company made lightly. Netflix isn’t exactly swimming in spare cash since it began losing subscribers last year, and some of the streamer’s subsequent actions (including cracking down on people sharing their Netflix accounts with family and friends) drove even more subscribers away. The company clearly hopes to both attract new customers and retain existing ones by creating more exclusive content, and a feature adaptation of what was arguably Idris Elba’s best and most iconic role may do just that.
What do we know about this Idris Elba Luther movie so far, though, beyond the cryptic teaser? The screenplay was written by Luther series creator Neil Cross, and it’s being directed by veteran TV director Jamie Payne. The plot is going to continue what we saw in the television show while trying to reimagine it for a new generation of fans. However, they likely don’t want to change too much about this universe that fans loved: the show was nominated for 11 different Emmys, and Netflix is surely hoping the feature film will become a critical darling as well.
What’s the plot about, though? Idris Elba’s Luther is languishing behind bars at the beginning of the movie while getting taunted by a ruthless serial killer who is busy tearing up the streets of London. Deciding to finish things once and for all, Luther breaks out of prison to begin what might be his most dangerous adventure yet.
There are obviously high stakes involved for the title character, but it looks like he won’t have to handle everything on his own. In addition to the return of Idris Elba, another familiar face from the show will make an appearance in the movie: Dermot Crowley is returning as Martin Schenk, and other major stars in the movie include franchise newcomers Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis. Depending on the success of this film, we could possibly see additional Luther films, but even then, it may come down to whether Elba can make room in his busy schedule to return again to this character that helped make him famous.
