Will Idris Elba be putting the coat back on for another Luther film?
Idris Elba is back as troubled detective John Luther in the brand-new Netflix film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which is now available on the streamer following a limited run in cinemas.
With fans already making their way through the highly anticipated film, which acts as a direct follow-up to the BBC Luther series, they may be wondering whether they will get to see Elba’s hero again any time soon.
Things certainly look hopeful that another Luther film could be in the offing, with the cast and creatives certainly keen to make it happen – but just what do we know so far about the potential sequel film?
Read on for everything you need to know about the potential for a sequel to Luther: The Fallen Sun.
*Warning: Contains full spoilers for Luther: The Fallen Sun*
Will there be a sequel to Luther: The Fallen Sun?
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It certainly seems that if Idris Elba and Luther creator/writer Neil Cross have a say about it, there will definitely be more Luther films.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Cross said that he would make another film “at the drop of a hat”. adding that the team “deliberately left the door more than ajar, it’s an open door”.
When asked whether future instalments in the Luther franchise would be films rather than new seasons in the original BBC series, Cross said that the film world is where Luther “lives now.”
The film’s director Jamie Payne added: “Yeah, I think that’s a great answer. That’s where he lives now. That’s where he lives at this moment. The Fallen Sun is one chapter, I’d love to read the next chapter.”
Meanwhile, Elba has certainly made clear his intentions to make more Luther films, telling The One Show earlier this month: “We do have the ambition to take it into a franchise because now that you’ve got a film landscape, you’ve got bigger budgets, but also you’ve just got more stories we can tell.”
Elba has even suggested the franchise could run long enough for him to be replaced in the title role, saying: “I want people to be like: ‘Ooh! Luther, the first film? Wicked.’ And to continue that. And then maybe later down the line, when I’m too old, someone else will step in to play John.”
The end of the film certainly sets up the potential for more outings in the Luther franchise. It sees Luther wake up in an unknown building after defeating Robey and believing he was going back to prison. However, Schenk tells him this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Luther is then led out of the building where a number of black vehicles have pulled up. He is told that his efforts on the Robey case were impressive, and informed that the boss would like to speak with him.
The film then cuts to black, meaning we are yet to discover just who this mysterious boss is. However, at this point it certainly seems as though Luther is being recruited be the intelligence services for further missions.
For now Netflix has yet to confirm a second film is officially in the works. However, we will keep this page updated as soon as any new information is announced regarding the future of the franchise.
When could a potential sequel to Luther: The Fallen Sun be released?
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It’s hard to say at this point exactly when a second Luther film would be released, without confirmation that one will indeed be happening.
The Fallen Sun has arrived four years after the final season of the show debuted in 2019, and if a similar time gap occurs we could be waiting until 2027 for more Luther goodness.
However, if the film proves popular and Netflix want to move ahead with a second film quickly, we could see it sooner than that – potentially as soon as 2025.
We’ll keep this page updated as and when we get any more concrete information around a release date for a second Luther film.
Who could be in the cast for a sequel to Luther: The Fallen Sun?
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Even if he does eventually see himself being replaced in the role, we would certainly expect to see Idris Elba back for a second film outing, given his enthusiasm for the character and the franchise.
We would also expect Dermot Crowley to be back as Martin Schenk, given that he is the only other character to have appeared in every season of the series as well as the film.
Beyond that though, it’s hard to say just who of the Luther cast would be back for a second film. We certainly wouldn’t expect Andy Serkis’ Robey to be back, after the character met his end in the icey waters at the end of the film.
However, one character we could certainly see back is Cynthia Erivo as Odette Raine, given her importance in The Fallen Sun.
When it comes to characters moving over from the series, there could of course be a place for Patrick Malahide’s George Cornelius, Paul McGann’s Mark North or even characters from the earlier seasons such as Sienna Guillory’s Mary Day or Aimee-Ffion Edwards’ Jenny Jones.
Speaking with RadioTimes.com, Cross suggested that while he was averse to “fan-service”, there was still certainly the potential for classic characters to return.
He said: “I think fan-service is a sugar high. And I think it’s very tempting for any filmmaker, any writer to do. Just say, ‘let’s just see Mark crossing the street’. But I think it’s essentially meretricious and I think it doesn’t respect the engagement of the returning audience with the universe, it’s too cheap.
“And also, I think it would be discourteous to the new audience, who see something which they know means something, but they don’t know what it is.
“That, to me, is like the cool kids in the corner who arbitrarily lace their trainers in a particular way that makes you the in-group or out-group. We are more welcoming than that. But that is not to say that these characters are not still alive and very much part of the universe. And it’s not to say that we might not meet them at some point in the future.”
Then of course, there’s the question of many fans’ favourite character from the series – Ruth Wilson’s Alice Morgan.
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Alice appeared as though she may have met her end in the final episode of the series, but according to Cross and Payne, that might not exactly be the case – and she could be due for a comeback.
Payne said: “I think the great thing, and again it leans into the Mark North thing, is like, ‘well, if we’re going to introduce a new audience to our central character, how many of those incredible satellites do you want to put in to the story?’
“And I think that does apply to Alice, who is such an incredible story companion, in so many ways, to the Luther series. The whole idea that Alice and Mark and others exist there within the Luther universe potentially, that thought it exciting.”
Cross added that “like Ruth said, we never saw a body”, to which Payne concurred: “We never saw a body. And that is exciting. I think, as a Luther fan, it’s exciting that those stories are out there to be explored potentially.”
For now this is of course all speculation – but it seems there are all number of characters who could make a comeback should a second Luther film be confirmed.
Is there a trailer for a sequel to Luther: The Fallen Sun?
There isn’t a trailer available for a second Luther film just yet, as one has not been confirmed at this point, let alone filmed.
However, we will keep this page updated as any new footage emerges, and for now you can re-watch the trailer for Luther: The Fallen Sun right here now.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
You can stream Luther on BBC iPlayer now. Check out more of our Film and Drama coverage, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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