The award-winning series will return next year and will once again star Idris Elba as iconic murder detective, DCI John Luther
Multi-award-winning crime drama series Luther will be returning to BBC One for a fifth series. The BBC announced today that a new four-part series written by Neil Cross and starring Idris Elba, who has received a Golden Globe and SAG Award for his performance in the role of John Luther, will start filming early next year.
Writer Neil Cross, said: “Now what? It’s a question Idris and I get asked a lot. What happened to John Luther after we last saw him striding unbowed through the streets of his city, his blood red London? It can’t be over, can it? There’s so much we don’t know. So much unfinished business.
The thing is, we’ve been asking ourselves the same question. Because we love John and wonder what he’s up to. And as for me, I’m scared of the monsters. The face at the window. The hand under the bed. The shadow at the end of the street. Who’s going to stop them, if not John Luther?
In the end, we picked up the phone to some old friends and asked if they’d like to find out what happens next. It turns out, they would. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to find out what happens next. Now what? Luther’s coming back. That’s what.”
Idris, who plays the iconic murder detective, said: “Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season and I am thrilled that we have been able to bring it all together. I look forward to putting the coat back on.”
The 44-year-old actor, who has also starred in The Wire, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and American Gangster, made no secret of the fact he was keen for a new series, saying previously, "The audience seems to like John Luther. I don't think his story is over yet."
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said: “Luther is one of BBC One’s most iconic dramas and we’re thrilled that Idris Elba is reprising his role as John Luther. Neil Cross’ plans for his return promise some big surprises and what will turn out to be an utterly heart stopping and unmissable fifth series.”
Hilary Salmon, BBC Studios Executive Producer, added: “ The return of John Luther always feels like an event but this time we will be pulling out all the stops to make the show bigger, bolder and of course more scary than ever.”
