Luther: The Fallen Sun: Netflix release date, trailer, and cast with Idris Elba, Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo

Luther, the popular BBC One crime drama starring Idris Elba, is set to receive a movie sequel on Netflix. The film - titled Luther: The Fallen Sun - will pick up where the series left off four years ago.

The movie, which is also going to star Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo, will arrive on the streaming platform in March 2023.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Luther movie (though be careful about spoilers for the end of the television show, if you’ve not caught up yet)..

What’s it about?

According to the official Netflix synopsis, Luther: The Fallen Sun sees “a serial killer terrorizes London while disgraced detective John Luther sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary.”

Idris Elba has teased a few more details about the film, revealing that it’s set to “break out of the gritty streets of London.”

“We take it outside of [London] a little bit,” explained Elba to Empire magazine. “And that’s great. It feels like now we’re entering a different life of the Luther experience.” It doesn’t, however, change the core of the show according to Elba, who said he “wanted to make sure that even though we had a bigger budget, [we didn’t] distort the parameters of Luther-land too much.”

Despite some early plans for a Luther prequel, Elba has revealed that the film takes place after the Series 5 finale. “If you watch the last season, it picks up after that. But for new audiences that haven’t seen it, I think the film is a whole story,” said Elba on Sirius XFM earlier this year. “Even if you don’t know Luther, who he is, or anything about him, the film attempts to be whole for a new audience.”

Who stars in the Luther movie?

Idris Elba, of course, returns as detective John Luther. You’ll know Elba from television roles in series like The Wire, Guerilla, and In The Long Run, as well as film appearances in Star Trek Beyond, Thor, Cats, and The Suicide Squad. He can next be seen playing Knuckles the Echidna in a television series for Paramount+, reprising a role he first played in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

He’s joined by two newcomers to Luther’s world, Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo. Very little is known about Erivo’s character at present, but Serkis will play tech millionaire and villain David Robey, a blackmailer who constantly surveils people via the dark web. Serkis is most famous for playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, though he’s perhaps a bit more recognisable for recent appearances in Andor and Black Panther; Cynthia Erivo, meanwhile, you’ll know from Harriet, Bad Times at the El Royale, and the Aretha Franklin-focused series of Genius.

Dermot Crowley is returning as his Luther character DSU Martin Schenk. Crowley is best known for appearing in television series like Bleak House and Father Figure, as well as films like The Death of Stalin and The Wonder. Interestingly, Crowley once auditioned for the role of Doctor Who in the 1980s – the part went to Sylvester McCoy instead.

They’ll also be joined by Jess Liaudin, a retired MMA fighter who recently appeared in the HBO drama Irma Vep.

Who will write and direct it?

Neil Cross, who created Luther, is writing the film. Outside of Luther, Cross is best known for his work writing Hard Sun, The Sister, and The Mosquito Coast; he also wrote two episodes of Doctor Who starring Matt Smith.

The film will be directed by Jamie Payne, a director who’s previously worked on Outlander, The Hour, Primeval, and New Amsterdam. Payne has directed two episodes of Doctor Who – one of which was written by Cross, and the other was Matt Smith’s regeneration – and directed all four episodes of Luther Series 5.

Is there a trailer for the movie?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

Idris Elba previously offered a brief teaser on twitter, too, which you can see here.

When and how can I watch it?

Four years after the Series 5 finale aired on BBC One, Luther: The Fallen Sun will be available to stream on Netflix on Friday 10 March. You can sign up for Netflix right here.

It’s also set to get a limited-run cinema release, with the Luther movie available in select cinemas from Friday 24 February - two weeks earlier than its Netflix release.

Where was the Luther movie filmed?

The Luther movie was filmed on location both in London and in Brussels. Filming began in November 2021, and concluded in September 2022.

Where can I watch Luther?

You can currently watch all five previous series of Luther for free on BBC iPlayer. The series isn’t currently available on Netflix.

Why should I watch the Luther movie?

It’s one to check out if you’re a fan of Luther, of course!