Over the course of five seasons, released between 2010 and 2019, Idris Elba brought to life the embattled DCI John Luther, a skilled detective whose personal life often became wrapped up in his various cases on the BBC crime series, Luther. The show, which helped Elba reach new heights in the years following the conclusion of The Wire, ended up being one of the actor’s best known parts, and earned him multiple awards, including a Golden Globe in 2012.
Though it seemed like things were over and done with for Elba’s character after being sent to prison at the end of the original series, he’ll soon return in the 2023 Netflix movie, Luther: The Fallen Sun. The movie, which has been a big wish for Elba for years, will see some familiar faces appear alongside the legendary TV cop, as well as some newcomers including another standout star from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let’s get to the bottom of this case, shall we?
Luther: The Fallen Sun Will Be Released March 10th On Netflix
Anyone with an active Netflix subscription will be able to watch Luther: The Fallen Sun when the long-awaited continuation of the riveting series premieres March 10, 2023 on Netflix. Just like some of the other major Netflix film releases the past few years, most notably Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, moviegoers will get the chance to see the crime drama a couple weeks early, as a brief and limited theatrical run is set to kick off February 24th, according to Collider.
Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo And Andy Serkis Lead The Luther: The Fallen Sun Cast
As was the case for all five seasons of Luther, the upcoming film continuation of the series will once again be led by none other than Idris Elba, who will take on the role of John Luther at least one more time. Also returning for the upcoming Netflix movie will be Dermot Crowely, who is reprising his role of Detective Superintendent Martin Schenk, a character last seen regretfully putting Luther behind bars.
Netflix has also announced there will be some new faces joining the Luther: The Fallen Sun cast alongside the returning stars. Though her character has yet to be revealed, Cynthia Erivo is set to play a prominent role in the upcoming movie. Another cast addition is Andy Serkis, who will be the villainous David Robey, a millionaire serial killer who has a shared history with Luther.
The Movie Will Follow Luther As He Breaks Out Of Prison To Stop A Gruesome Serial Killer
The fifth and final season of Luther ended in 2019 with Idris Elba’s character being sent to prison after years of doing things his own way caught up with him. The upcoming movie, which picks up some time after the events of the series, will see the disgraced detective sitting behind bars while a ruthless serial killer treats London as his personal playground. Netflix has announced that Luther, haunted by not being able to stop the killer, breaks out of prison to end the game once and for all, no matter what it takes.
If Luther: The Fallen Sun is anything like the series that came before it, the on-the-run detective will push himself to his limits to bring the killer to justice and end his own personal suffering in the process.
Watching The Luther TV Series Before Fallen Sun Isn’t A Necessity
Unlike a great number of crime dramas, Luther never featured extensive seasons. In fact, the show’s first season, with a total of six episodes, was the longest of the series, with all others featuring anywhere from two to four apiece. Though you could very well binge all five seasons in a marathon over a long weekend to prepare, Luther: The Fallen Sun director Jamie Payne told Entertainment Weekly that it’s not a necessity to enjoy the movie:
The story in some ways continues — if you binge the series from Season 1 to the film, the story is continuous. But because the film has got such a larger platform, we thought it was important that if someone was watching the film for the first time that it had its own story. So you could watch the film and go back and then binge the series. It was important to all of us that the audience could find a way into the series, and to the lore.
And sure, not having watched the series could prevent someone from missing out on some of the nuance of the movie, including when it comes to John Luther’s complicated history with characters like the deceased Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), but as Payne pointed out, Luther: The Fallen Sun could very well serve as a launchpad for new fans.
Andy Serkis Has Teased The Movie By Saying He Hasn’t Seen Something ‘Quite As Dark For A Long Time’
Andy Serkis is no stranger when it comes to playing dark and complex characters. Looking at his body of work, you see roles like Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Ultron and Black Panther, both of whom are characters who’ve lost their sense of humanity. And so, it was shocking to find out what the versatile actor had to say about Luther: The Fallen Sun when speaking with TotalFilm (via GamesRadar) ahead of the film’s release:
When I first read the script, I almost wanted to throw it in the bin and have a shower. I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite as dark for a long time. And I thought: ‘In fact, do I really actually at this point in the world and time and my life, want to go down this particular rabbit hole of something that’s so hard to fathom in humanity?'
By the way Serkis makes the movie sound, his portrayal of David Robey could very well be up there with the roles mentioned above. If anything, it will be just as terrifying.
Luther: The Fallen Sun Is The Kind Of Story Series Creator Neil Cross Has Always Wanted To Tell
Over the course of its five seasons, Luther never shied away from delicate topics and situations, but with the show being a TV series and having certain limitations in terms of budget and acceptable subject matter, the series never really pushed things too hard. When talking about Luther: The Fallen Sun during an interview with RadioTimes, creator Neil Cross explained how the movie is giving the team their opportunity to try something bigger:
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?
Jumping off that, outlets like ComicBook.com reported in January 2023 that the movie will carry an R-rating for disturbing and violent content, language, and sexual material. How the story is told with a higher level of violence will be interesting to see.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is set to premiere on Netflix on March 10, 2023. If you’re looking for something to do in the meantime, now would be a good time to get caught up on the other 2023 movie premiere dates as well as the updated list of the best movies on Netflix.
