Netflix Picks Up Idris Elba’s ‘Luther’ With Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis Joining

In association with BBC, Netflix is planning on turning the popular British crime series Luther starring Idris Elba into a movie. Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis are also set to join the cast.

According to Hollywood Reporter, the creator and writer of the series, Neil Cross, will be writing the script while Jamie Payne, who directed the last full season of the show, will be directing it. Luther is set to begin filming this November.

The series follows Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, played by Elba, who is so committed to his job that he is willing to do anything to solve a case. Elba’s portrayal of Luther in the show has earned him Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and SAG awards, as well as Emmy nominations.

The film adaptation is a continuation of the television series and will follow Luther fending off his detective nemesis, played by Erivo, and the main villain of the movie, played by Serkis. When speaking with EW, Elba teased the possibility of a Luther film, and discussed where he thinks the character could go from here.

“I feel like John has to make some decision in jail,” he said. “It’s quite clear that it would be very difficult for him to be a policeman moving forward. I think that’s a great setup for a movie. The last few seasons have been more like mini-movies, and film allows us to now have more dramatic pin points moments that are slightly more compressed and it’s a bigger but smaller dose of Luther.”

Cross and Elba are producing along with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and David Ready of Chernin Entertainment.