Idris Elba confirms that filming for Luther film will begin this year

Idris Elba has confirmed that filming for the highly-anticipated Luther film will be starting later this year. 

The hit BBC One crime series, which first landed on our screens back in 2010, has been a huge success, with millions of people all across the country tuning in to watch.

The series follows John Luther, a detective chief inspector working for the Serious Crime Unit of the police. There has been a total of five seasons so far, wherein Elba take on the lead role as the troubled Luther. The actor has won two Golden Globes and a Royal Television Society best actor award for his portrayal.

BBC

The last season premiered on New Year’s Day 2019, drawing in an impressive 4.6 million viewers, peaking at 4.7 million.

However, nearly two years on from the explosive season five finale, the show’s creator, Neil Cross, confirmed that a sixth season wouldn’t be happening, despite the success of the final episode.

He told Australia’s Insider magazine last year: “There is not going to be a season 6 — definitively no season 6.”

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, because Cross quickly added this: “But Idris, [director] Jamie Payne, and I will shortly have some exciting news to share… There’s going to be more later, but it’s not going to be season 6.”

To add to the speculation, Elba hinted strongly at a film adaptation of the hit series at 2018 Bafta TV awards. He said: “With film, the sky is the limit. You can be a little bit more bold with the storylines, and a little bit more international, and a little more up the scale.  But John Luther is always going to be John Luther.”

BBC

And now, Luther fans have finally received the news they’ve been so desperately waiting for. 

“We go into production, fingers crossed, in September,” Elba told Variety over the weekend. “I’m so excited about it, it’s been a long time coming.”

The actor then added: “We’re very, very close to pulling the green light on production.”

The Luther film is currently set up as a 20th Century Fox Television, BBC Worldwide Productions and Chernin Entertainment production, with Idris Elba, Peter Chernin, Julie Gardner, Katherine Pope and Jane Tranter on board as executive producers.

A release date is yet to be announced.