Luther: The Fallen Sun — release date, trailer, cast, plot, and everything we know about the Luther movie

John Luther (Idris Elba) messing with some figures on a windowsill in Luther: The Fallen Sun
John Luther's determined to take down an old foe in the new movie. (Image credit: John Wilson/Netflix)

The Luther movie, Luther: The Fallen Sun, is available to stream on Netflix from March 10

The original series is still one of the best BBC dramas. It debuted back in 2010 and has been incredibly popular ever since. The series has won no less than 11 Emmy nominations, with four going to Idris Elba for playing the grizzled title character, DCI John Luther.

In Luther: The Fallen Sun, we see the disgraced former detective breaking out of prison in order to take down a gruesome killer Luther failed to bring down in the past, all while the Metropolitan police try to catch him and put Luther back behind bars. 

Here's everything you need to know about Luther: The Fallen Sun.

Luther: The Fallen Sun release date

Luther: The Fallen Sun got a limited theatrical release on February 24, 2023, and is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

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If you're looking to revisit some of Luther's previous cases, you can stream the original series on BBC iPlayer and Hulu in the US

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When March 2023 was first confirmed as the release month, Netflix shared the first two images from the movie. The first one saw Luther in some sort of tunnel, whilst the other saw him trekking through some snow.

John Luther (Idris Elba) trekking through snow in the Luther movie.

Luther's leaving the streets of London behind in the new movie. (Image credit: Netflix)

Luther: The Fallen Sun cast

Naturally, you can't have more Luther without Idris Elba, and he was back on hand in the lead role after his recent appearances in The Suicide Squad, Three Thousand Years of Longing, and Beast.

In the original Luther movie announcement, Netflix revealed two additional stars would be joining Elba in Luther: The Fallen Sun. Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage) and Cynthia Erivo (The Outsider, Bad Times at the El Royale) also star.

Andy Serkis plays Luther's latest nemesis, a sadist millionaire called David Robey. Tudum describes Robey as "a whirling dervish of menace—a larger-than-life, theatrical criminal to match Elba’s rebellious, nigh-unstoppable cop" working from a 'twisted moral compass.'

Dermot Crowley also returned as DSU Martin Schenk, who previously headed up the Serious and Serial Unit which Luther worked for. 

David Robey (Andy Serkis) in a gown checking his phone.

David Robey, John Luther's latest foe. (Image credit: John Wilson/Netflix)
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Luther: The Fallen Sun plot

Here's Netflix's official synopsis for the Luther movie: "In Luther: The Fallen Sun — an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film — a gruesome serial killer is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary."

John Luther

(Image credit: BBC)

Is there a Luther: The Fallen Sun trailer?

Yes! The Luther: The Fallen Sun trailer finally arrived on February 9, just a couple of weeks ahead of its limited theatrical release, and it gives us a very good idea of what to expect in the film. Having broken out of prison, Luther's on the hunt for Andy Serkis' gruesome killer, (someone he failed to put behind bars in the past). 

The  Netflix 2023 Preview also contained a brief snapshot of John Luther ahead of the full trailer's arrival. It's not very long, but if you want see it you can skip ahead to 0:48 if you only want to see Luther back on your screen.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.