The Luther feature film is being released on Netflix this week

After four long years, DCI Luther will be returning to TV screens with a Netflix feature film.

When we last saw the troubled detective DCI Luther, he was arrested and sent to prison after five seasons of skirting the law. Diehard fans will be more than pleased to hear their favourite anti-hero is back after a four-year hiatus — he’s not done yet!

Luther is returning with one big massive serving in the form of a feature length film rather than a series — co-produced by Netflix and the BBC. Though idea of a movie had been circulating since about 2013, it was shelved until the last series finished up in 2019 and was later corroborated by Netflix in 2021.

Only a handful of actors have been confirmed to star in the new Luther: The Fallen Sun and of course, Idris Elba will be back in his tweed overcoat to play the role of DCI Luther. Alongside him will be Dermot Crowley as DSU Schenk as well as two more confirmed actors. Cynthia Erivo from Bad Times at the El Royale and Andy Serkis.

Unfortunately, there’s been no giveaway as to whether Ruth Wilson will return as criminal psychopath Alice — we can only hope and watch to find out later this week! The new movie, directed by Jamie Payne and written by Neil Cross, builds on and reimagines the award winning series, throwing Luther and his colleagues into an even bigger, bolder game of cat and mouse. 

In 2021, speaking to musician MistaJam, Elba —who’s also a DJ — 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.”

The plot kicks off with Luther behind bars after crossing a line in his pursuit of justice. Elba said: “He’s done so much to bend the law in order to catch the bad guys that he’s ended up in jail. That’s where we start the story.

“This old case that didn’t really ever get solved creeps up back into his life. And John can’t help but find a way to get involved. This bad guy is out there and he has to go out and get him.”

Payne, who also directed the series’ fifth season, added that the movie introduces a new take on the beloved character, dropping him into a situation he’s never been in before. “Luther’s an unstoppable force,” he said.

“But up to this point, he’s had to tread around the law of the police, because that was his job.

“Now, he’s a fugitive. This is Luther untethered. This man is so forward in his thinking and is in action. He’s like a wrecking ball, but the smartest wrecking ball you’ve ever met in your life.”

Luther: The Fallen Sun will be released on Netflix on Friday March 10th, after appearing in cinemas from February 24th.