After a three year wait, Idris Elba is back in action in the New Year for a brand new series of Luther. The acclaimed series created by Neil Cross has previously flirted with the idea of bringing Luther to the big screen, but it was assumed that a movie spin-off wasn't on the cards with the arrival of a fifth series. According to Elba, a film adaptation is very much in development and edging itself into existence.

"We are really advancing on getting a movie version [of the show] up on the screen. Neil is beavering away on writing this thing, and I think the remit for the film is to scale it up. Luther has all the ingredients to echo those classic [neo-noir] films of the 90s like SEVEN and ALONG CAME A SPIDER, and I think what we would like to do is use that blueprint to create LUTHER the film."

As to when we might see Luther on the big screen, Elba went on to reveal that the forthcoming fifth series will be one of the last.

“This one’s very particular because I think it’s one of our last TV installments – I shouldn’t say that as a matter of fact, but it was designed in the sense that Neil’s and my ambition is to take it to a larger screen. We paid attention to what we were writing in this show. If we are to make a movie, this show is essentially a segue to that.”

Back in 2013, Neil Cross was toying with the idea of a prequel film charting the early years of Luther when he first became a Detective. I'm not that sad that the prequel didn't happen, there's a time to delve into Luther's early years as a rookie Detective, but that should only be when Elba is done with the character. Naturally, that's just my opinion.

Luther's four-part fifth series kicks off on New Year's Day on BBC One.