Idris Elba premieres 'Luther' film, talks being famous for not playing Bond

Idris Elba is bringing his beloved detective character from the small screen to the big screen for “Luther: The Fallen Sun.” Elba walked the carpet for the New York premiere on Wednesday (9 March 2023) night and talked about the ornery Detective John Luther starring in a feature film.

“I think the biggest challenge was definitely trying to keep the day-one fans happy and introduce a whole new concept to them. You know, there's no clues right on the poster. It just says Luther, and that could be Luther Vandross for all you know,” joked Elba.

“It's about bringing a new audience and being sort of, you know, faithful to the original.”

Haunted by an unsolved murder, brilliant but disgraced London police detective John Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer played by Andy Serkis.

The extremely popular British TV series ran for four seasons between 2010 and 2019, and after finding a home on Netflix, the show has gained a wider fanbase. Writer and producer Neil Cross said it was a challenge creating a film that could entertain the day-one fans, as well as those who’d never seen the show.

“The biggest challenge was there’s two distinct audiences for this show. One is those people who've come with us over 13 years and are aware of everything the character's done and who he's betrayed and who's betrayed him and the terrible things that have happened to him and some of the appalling things he's done himself, and an entirely new audience who might not be familiar with the show at all,” explained Cross. “So, we had to find a way to make a movie that was equally going to respect and entertain two entirely separate audiences. And that was that was kind of a trip. That was a bit of a needle to thread.”

The film also stars Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo who plays DCI Odette Raine, Archie Woodward and Dermot Crowley from the original series.

Fans will also find an Easter egg in the movie if they pay close attention; Cross wrote in a tongue-in-cheek reference to James Bond, as Elba has frequently been peppered with questions about potentially playing the famous agent. So what was his reaction when he saw the reference in the script?

“I was like, ‘Guys, do we really need that cheeky little reference?’ And Neil was like, ‘Yeah, let's do it,’” said Elba. “I was like, Okay, fine. You know, listen, we're filmmakers telling stories, you know? There's no real shots fired. Trust me.”

And does Elba ever get tired of the Bond questions?

“I'm not really tired of it. You know, it's a rumor that’s stuck with me,” said Elba. “I think I'm the most famous ‘Bond’ actor that never actually played the part. So, what can I say? I'll take that.”

“Luther: The Fallen Sun” premieres March 10 on Netflix.