Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson to reunite for second Luther movie

Actors Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson will reunite in a second Luther movie, Netflix has announced.

The film will continue the story of haunted rogue Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, played by Elba, following five critically acclaimed series on the BBC and a movie released in 2023.

Actress Wilson, 43, who did not appear in the film, will reprise her role as the detective’s murderous sidekick, Alice Morgan, with Dermot Crowley returning as Detective Superintendent Martin Schenk.

The follow-up to Luther: The Fallen Sun will see Elba’s character secretly called back into service to investigate a murder spree.

The film will welcome back director Jamie Payne and screenwriter Neil Cross, who created the mystery series.

Cross said: “Luther, Alice, and Schenk are more than characters to me — they’re family.

“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.”

Payne added: “Neil has yet again created a wonderfully dark tale to bring us all back together. It’s a true joy to be back on the streets of Lutherland with the supreme talents that are Idris Elba and Dermot Crowley.

“I am also thrilled to be reunited with the brilliant and dangerous Alice Morgan, played by the extraordinarily talented Ruth Wilson. Fans new and old are in for a treat!”

All five series of Luther, which launched in 2010, were lauded by critics, but the 2023 film received two and three stars.

Writing in The Times, Kevin Maher said the increased budget from the streaming giant had been spent on a “gorgeous chopper shot” and a plot so “bombastic and overdone that unintentional giggles are consistently available”.

London-born Elba, 53, also known for playing Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom has received four Emmy nominations for Luther.