Idris Elba may be in demand for feature films, but he hasn’t turned his back on television. After starring in Showtime’s Guerrilla miniseries this year, Elba has confirmed that he will return for a new round of stories about his signature character, Detective Chief Inspector John Luther.
BBC has announced that Elba and series creator Neil Cross will both return for a new four-episode season of Luther, the British crime drama that premiered in 2010. This will be the fifth season of Luther, which has been on hiatus since 2015. Within the world of the series, John Luther is a brilliant police detective who has revealed himself to be very self-destructive and obsessive. The fourth season was thought to be the end of the series, but it’s conclusion was definitely open ended.
“It’s a question Idris and I get asked a lot,” related Cross to BBC. “What happened to John Luther after we last saw him striding unbowed through the streets of his city, his blood red London? It can’t be over, can it? There’s so much we don’t know. So much unfinished business.”
Indeed. And there’s no unfinished business quite like Alice Morgan, as played by Ruth Wilson. On the series, Alice was a genius and a sociopath who shared a complicated history with John Luther. He tried and failed to prove that she murdered her parents, yet they ended up as close friends and seemed to be on the verge of forming a relationship. As revealed in the fourth season, Alice was seemingly killed off…but does anyone really believe that she’s gone for good? Since we didn’t see it happen, we’re holding out hope that she’ll be back. Of course, that will depend upon Wilson’s willingness to return.
The new season of Luther is expected to begin filming in 2018. BBC America will broadcast the series in the United States, but there is currently no premiere date.
Are you excited about the return of Luther? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: BBC America
