His performance as Stringer Bell in The Wire may have been the launchpad that brought him mainstream recognition, but Idris Elba will have to pull something special out of the bag to see anything other than John Luther become the defining role of his career. The acclaimed crime drama might have only run for a combined total of 20 episodes spread out over five seasons, but that hasn’t stopped it from gaining recognition as one of the finest police procedurals of the 21st Century.
Elba picked up four Golden Globe nominations in the Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film category, winning for the second season, and ever since the show drew to a close with last year’s four-episode fifth run, both the leading man and creator Neil Cross have constantly voiced their desire to see the story wrapped up in a feature film.
In a recent interview, Cross echoed Elba’s comments made back in August, when he essentially confirmed that Luther will be coming to the big screen one way or another, although he admitted that the project is still a long way out from materializing.
“Ask Idris. We are, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, which is an answer in of itself. Words are my job and I’ve lost them all. We wanna make more Luther. We’re gonna make more Luther. The how and the why, that’s all to come, but we’re gonna make more Luther.”
There were once plans to launch an American remake of Luther with Marlon Wayans, Mahershala Ali and Rosario Dawson all linked with the lead role, but nobody would stand a chance of embodying the brilliant yet dogged detective anywhere near as well as Idris Elba. Given his packed schedule and the continued uncertainty surrounding the movie industry as a result of the Cornavirus pandemic, it could be a while yet before the film gets the official green light, but at least we know that the two main creative driving forces are intent on making it happen.