Luther film sequel confirmed by Netflix with Idris Elba joined by returning fan-favourite

Former DCI John Luther is finally on his way back to our screens in an all-new film outing from Netflix.

The Luther television series, led by the iconic Idris Elba, ran for five seasons on the BBC from 2010 to 2019 before receiving a feature-length outing on Netflix and in select cinemas, subtitled The Fallen Sun, in 2023. The film made some small changes to previous plot developments, but served as a sequel to the series.

Now John Luther, last seen being recruited by MI5 after escaping prison in the previous film, is set to tackle a new case, and this time he will be joined by some familiar faces.

Most importantly for Luther die-hards is the confirmed return of the award-winning Ruth Wilson as Luther's nemesis and sometime love-interest Alice Morgan.

The character was last seen falling to her apparent death in the conclusion of the show's fifth season finale, but now Alice is back here. Is the murderous character alive after all, or is something even more sinister happening to John Luther?

Elsewhere, series mainstay Dermot Crowley will also reprise his role as Martin Schenk, last seen as a retired ally of Luther in The Fallen Sun.

The previous film's cast saw Academy Award nominee and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo join Luther as Odette Raine, the head of the Serious and Serial Crime Unit (SSCU), but she is not currently set to return here.

The new film will once again be penned by series creator Neil Cross and will be directed by another series mainstay, Jamie Payne, who also helmed The Fallen Sun.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Cross said: "Luther, Alice and Schenk are more than characters to me, they’re family."

He added: "I never stop wondering where they are, what’s become of them … and what horrors might be stirring in the shadows of London while Luther’s not around. So we decided to get together and find out what happens next."

The film will see Luther attempt to solve a series of seemingly unrelated brutal murders, all while trying to avoid being killed by numerous other parties.

Cross previously spoke with us for The Radio Times Writers' Room, our video interview series in which we get to know what makes screenwriters tick, when he was asked about the chances that we will see Luther again.

"There are extraordinarily strong possibilities you might see him again," Cross said at the time. "Is that the heaviest hint that’s possible to give without Netflix sending a trained assassin around to silence me? Yeah, there's every chance you will meet him again."

Cross also previously hinted at a return for Alice Morgan too.

We think we've heard this song before.

Luther's next outing is set to begin filming in February 2026, and no release date is currently set.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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