Picture: Idris Elba in Luther: The Fallen Sun (BBC Film / Chernin Entertainment)
A new Luther film is officially moving forward at Netflix, with filming now underway in London as of February 2026. The feature will reunite Idris Elba with Ruth Wilson and Dermot Crowley.
The new film follows Luther: The Fallen Sun and sees series creator Neil Cross returning to write, with Jamie Payne also back to direct. It is produced by Chernin Entertainment, Neil Cross, Idris Elba, and Gina Carter for 22Summers, and Tim Lewis. The movie doesn’t yet have an official title.
The first film performed strongly on Netflix. Despite the BBC series not being available on the platform, The Fallen Sun spent five weeks in the global Netflix Top 10 list, with 180.39M viewing hours (approximately 82.6M views) and ranked as the 20th most-watched movie globally in the first half of 2023.
Upon the announcement of the film today, Jamie Payne said, “Neil has yet again created a wonderfully dark tale to bring us all back together. It is 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!”
Neil Cross added, “Luther, Alice, and Schenk are more than characters to me – they are 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.”
What is the plot of the new Luther movie?
Netflix has now revealed the official logline:
“When a new wave of brutal, seemingly random murders hits London, Luther is secretly called back into service. But how can he save London when everyone on all sides seems to want him dead?”
This confirms the film continues immediately after Luther’s uneasy alignment with British intelligence at the end of The Fallen Sun, now placing him back in London.
Of course, from the confirmed cast members below, Ruth Wilson’s return as Alice Morgan is a bit of a shocker, given that she’s been presumed dead until now. For those out of the loop, in the series season 5 finale, Luther and Alice ended up in a confrontation on a construction site. After a struggle on the scaffolding, Alice falls from a significant height. Her body is seen hitting the ground, and the series treats it as her death. There’s no scene confirming recovery, no morgue scene, no funeral, just Luther being arrested immediately afterward.
Who is in the cast?
Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley and Ruth Wilson – Picture Credits: Netflix / YellowBellyPhoto, Katie Edwards, Pip RW
Netflix has confirmed the return of:
• Idris Elba as DCI John Luther
• Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan
• Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk
Further casting will be announced at a later date.
What is the production status?
Development
Filming Scheduled
Filming Ongoing
Post-Production
Filming is currently planned to take place in London beginning February 2026, according to production sources, with a scheduled wrap sometime in May. The project is shooting under the codename of Hawksmoor.
Indeed, production did get underway with eyewitness and local reporting from London. Now, on February 18th, crews had been spotted in Northern London, specifically near and around Parkland Walk and Crouch End. They were specifically filming a bike chase segment during a night shoot.
When will the new Luther movie be released?
The Fallen Sun was filmed in late 2021 and released in March 2023, about 1 year after cameras began rolling. If the sequel follows a similar schedule, a mid-2027 release window (around May to June) is likely.
We will update this article as more information is confirmed.
This is one of two upcoming projects Netflix has with Idris Elba; the other is a documentary with King Charles, due out in late 2026, which has been filming alongside Luther 2.
Are you excited to see Luther, Alice, and Schenk return in Luther 2? Let us know in the comments.
