The Paramount+ ‘Knuckles’ series has a new trailer.
The ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ spin-off features Idris Elba as the voice of the title character.
‘Knuckles’ starts streaming on April 26th.
With the success of 2020’s ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ and 2022 sequel ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ (a combined box office haul of $725.2 million so far) Paramount is naturally looking to keep the speedy cash train running.
A third ‘Sonic’ movie outing is due in theaters on December 20th (and recently confirmed the return of Jim Carrey as the scheming Dr. Robotnik), but for young fans of the franchise who don’t want to wait that long, there is another ‘Sonic’-based story on its way.
‘Knuckles’, a series for Paramount+ that focuses on the warrior echidna voiced by Idris Elba, has been in the works for a while and has a new trailer online, with a Super Bowl spot to follow at the weekend.
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What’s the story of ‘Knuckles’?
Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.
The new live-action event series follows Knuckles (Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.
We can also see that Knuckles will come under threat from a new set of baddies, who seem bent on stealing his powers.
‘Knuckles’ will take place between the events of the second and third ‘Sonic’ movies.
(L to R) Scott Mescudi as Agent Mason and Ellie Taylor as Agent Willoughby in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.
And returning from the movie cast are Ben Schwartz, who reprises his role as Sonic, as well as special guest star Tika Sumpter, as Maddie. Colleen O’Shaughnessey will also return as a special guest star in her role as Tails.
Who is making ‘Knuckles’?
Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.
The series’ creative team includes the movies’ director Jeff Fowler, who handled the pilot episode and helped transition the film’s signature cinematic animation style to television. Additional directors for the series include Ged Wright, Brandon Trost, Jorma Taccone and Carol Banker.
The series was created for television by John Whittington and showrunner Toby Ascher. Whittington wrote the second movie, serves as head writer and wrote the pilot for the series. Additional writers include Brian Schacter and James Madejski.
When will ‘Knuckles’ be on screens?
All six episodes of ‘Knuckles’ will land on Paramount+ on April 26th.
A still from ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Mac (voiced by Christopher Lloyd) in ‘Knuckles’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Adam Pally as Wade Whipple and Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) in ‘Knuckles’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Stockard Channing as Wendy Whipple, ‘Knuckles’ (voiced by Idris Elba) and Edi Patterson as Wanda Whipple in Knuckles streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Tika Sumpter as Maddie, Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) and Daniel Singh as Cattleprod Bounty Hunter in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) and Rory McCann as The Buyer in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Scott Mescudi as Agent Mason and Ellie Taylor as Agent Willoughby in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Julian Barratt as Jack Sinclair in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Adam Pally as Wade Whipple in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Luke Varley/Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.(L to R) Adam Pally as Wade Whipple, Alice Tregonning as Susie, Cary Elwes as Pistol Pete Whipple and Owen Warren as Pete’s Bowling Partner in ‘Knuckles’, streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Luke Varley/Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.Adam Pally as Wade Whipple in ‘Knuckles,’ streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/Sega/Paramount+.
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Preview:
Idris Elba will return for a second season of ‘Hijack’.
Apple TV+ confirmed the show will return.
There’s no date for the new season.
Though we’ve all gotten more used to seeing him as gruff detective John Luther on TV screens, actor Idris Elba scored a big new small screen hit with last year’s ‘Hijack’.
And while it took things to a pulpy level at times, the pulse-pounding drama thriller certainly drew a solid audience. Enough that Apple TV+ has now announced a second season for the series.
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked Kingdom Airways plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba stars as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
And when he starts to dig in what is happening with the situation, he learns that all is far from what it initially seems. Plus, if the passengers decide to stage their own intervention, things could go south –– never a good thing for a plane while it’s in the air –– very quickly.
On the ground, meanwhile, we have Archie Panjabi as Zahra Gahfoor, a counter terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
Who else is in ‘Hijack?’
(L to R Max Beesley and Christine Adams in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
All those people (besides Elba) are only possible returnees –– as seen below, there are no details on what Sam Nelson might be landed into this time. Will he be on a hijacked train? A runaway bus? A rickshaw with a particularly fleet-footed driver?
Okay, probably not the last one. But it’ll be fun finding out.
What are Elba and others saying about the news?
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Idris Elba is, somewhat naturally, happy to see the show coming back:
“I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It’s top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high octane back!”
And Jay Hunt, Apple TV+ creative director for Europe also commented:
“Global audiences were on tenterhooks watching Idris’s riveting performance in ‘Hijack,’ and we’re thrilled to be working again with 60Forty and Idiotlamp on an equally compelling season two.”
When will ‘Hijack’ Season 2 be on Apple TV+?
Apple TV+ has yet to confirm a release date for the next season, though we would estimate it’ll either be much later this year or in 2025.
(L to R) Harry Michell and Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik is back for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’.
Jeff Fowler is directing the new movie.
The film is due in December.
At the end of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ it –– spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie –– appeared that Jim Carrey’s cackling, scheming Dr. Robotnik had fallen to his death.
But as post-credit sting, however, it is revealed (again, spoiler alert) that Robotnik’s body is nowhere to be found and he’s actually potentially alive.
A new, tiny social media teaser for the third movie adapted from the video game franchise reveals that he is indeed back, as also reported by Variety.
You all thought I was gone, but I’ve just been underground. What you’ve seen from me is only a #shadow of things to come… pic.twitter.com/3W9Rh728Tt
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Nothing has been officially released about the story for the new ‘Sonic’ movie, though we can predict more speedy behavior from the main character and a fresh devious scheme from Robotnik (also, mugging –– it is Jim Carrey, after all).
How James Marsden’s Tom Wachowski figures in this time remains to be seen, and we’ll also see the return of Sonic’s fellow CG creations Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey).
Rumors have suggested a potential trip through time and the film’s social media account kicked off the start of shoot with a teaser for Shadow the Hedgehog, who is a mysterious hedgehog associated with a secret government experiment called Project Shadow. He was obliquely referenced at the end of the second movie.
(L to R) Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega.
Jeff Fowler is once again directing the third movie, having handled the first two, with the script from regular writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller.
Neal H. Moritz is producing this one, as he has the others.
Carrey’s presence is a little surprising, since he said around the time of the second movie that he was effectively retiring from acting. But we suppose the sheer joy (or possibly an RV filled with cash) tempted him back.
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What else is planned for the Sonic the Hedgehog universe?
Jim Carrey and Knuckles (Idris Elba) in ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 2’ from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
With the success of the first two films, Paramount has naturally begun to try and build out a ‘Sonic’ universe, with a series based around the Knuckles character (with Elba back to voice him) already in the works.
In the show, Knuckles the Echidna teaches deputy Wade Whipple (Adam Pally) the techniques of the Echidna warrior. ‘Sonic’s fellow live-action actor Tika Sumpter is also aboard alongside the likes of Christopher Lloyd, Cary Elwes and Kid Cudi.
With action sequel ‘Extraction 2’ hitting Netflix next week, star/producer Chris Hemsworth is naturally ramping up promotion for the new movie. And that apparently includes letting loose one of the secrets that has heretofore not been released: Idris Elba, another Netflix veteran, is in the film!
The original ‘Extraction’, just in case you’re unfamiliar, was the 2020 Netflix action thriller directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo (adapted from the Russo Brothers’ multi-authored graphic novel ‘Ciudad’).
Hemsworth plays the gloriously named Tyler Rake (fun to say, as Elba points out in the clip above): a mercenary who takes on military assignments in the most punishing, ‘John Wick’ manner possible. First time out he was rescuing the son of a crime lord.
In the sequel, the mission Rake chooses to accept is the unofficial release of a Georgian gangster’s family from prison.
It’s somewhat of a surprise to see him up and about again, since ‘Extraction’ ended with Rake seemingly on the verge of death after that first mission. But then, we’re not sure people would really watch a movie where Hemsworth just has a quiet beer while lounging on a comfy sofa watching a gardening show (though some of his fanbase would watch him do anything, let’s be honest).
Elba’s character is mostly a mystery –– he’s not named in the clip, but it appears he’s the one who gives Rake the latest mission. And Netflix’s TUDUM blog offers up that he’s known as the Man In The Suit. And what a nice suit it is, too.
This also marks something of a ‘Thor’ reunion for the two actors since Elba has appeared as Heimdall in all the Marvel movies focused on Hemsworth’s Norse warrior (and even death in ‘Infinity War’ didn’t stop him popping up again).
In a word: action. Lots of action. Crazy action, with Hemsworth and Hargrave looking to not so much push the envelope as tear it into pieces and light it on fire.
And talking of flames, one extreme sequence in the sequel will see Rake fighting people while literally on fire.
“For me, the image of Chris Hemsworth beating the shit out of a bunch of prisoners, while on fire, in the snow was something that I couldn’t pass up,” Hargrave told Empire Magazine. “And hats off to Chris. It wasn’t CG fire. And he had to do it over and over. I don’t know a lot of people, let alone Hollywood A-listers, who are gonna let you light them on fire while on camera.”
Sounds lit to us.
Meanwhile, Netflix is really leaning into the promotion of Hemsworth’s latest collaboration, putting out a fun video that sees him meeting the company’s “Chief Action Officer” –– one Arnold Schwarzenegger –– who has some… thoughts… about ‘Extraction 2’s potential dialogue.
The traditional phase in action thrillers is, “we don’t negotiate with terrorists!” But what if you’re stuck on a plane that has been taken hostage, and your main skills is negotiation, forcing you to engage with them? That’s the situation that Idris Elba faces in new Apple TV+ thriller series ‘Hijack’.
Idris Elba in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
What’s the story of ‘Hijack’?
Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked Kingdom Airways plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Elba stars as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing.
And when he starts to dig in what is happening with the situation, he learns that all is far from what it initially seems. Plus, if the passengers decide to stage their own intervention, things could go south –– never a good thing for a plane while it’s in the air –– very quickly.
On the ground, meanwhile, we have Archie Panjabi as Zahra Gahfoor, a counter terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation.
Archie Panjabi in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
(L to R) Max Beesley and Christine Adams in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Why Idris Elba got involved in ‘Hijack’
Elba has gone on the record with Entertainment Weekly about what interested him in not only starring but also producing the series.
Here’s what he had to say,
“I wanted to make something that has impact as an actor obviously, but also as a producer in terms of what my taste is. This really ticked so many boxes. It takes a fresh approach to a thriller and hostage situation. There’s an amplified nature of having a ticking time bomb in a plane and what that does to human nature.”
And it expands beyond the confines of the plane to look at the response of others.
Elba talks about the authorities in the show,
“It is an examination of the procedures and attitudes within the government and law enforcement, and that becomes a focal point of the storytelling.”
‘Hijack’ hails from George Kay, who is one of the creators of Netflix series ‘Lupin’, which stars Omar Sy as the famous French gentleman thief character in an update of the story.
And this is just the latest move for Elba to get involved behind the scenes on his projects. He’s also found a new directing gig with action thriller ‘Infernus’, and you can read more about that here.
When will ‘Hijack’ be on Apple TV+?
‘Hijack’ takes off on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes on Wednesday, June 28th. An episode will arrive weekly through August 2nd.
Eve Myles in ‘Hijack,’ premiering June 28, 2023 on Apple TV+.
Though it sounds like the sort of movie that would have Gerard Butler growling dialogue and firing guns, new action thriller ‘Infernus’ actually has Idris Elba on board to star, according to Deadline.
But that’s not all: the actor will also direct and produce the movie.
This mark’s Elba’s second time in a feature director’s chair, following on from 2018 crime drama ‘Yardie’.
And he does have form in action movies –– witness his turns in the likes of ‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,’ ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘The Take’. And while they’re usually more about brooding crime-solving, both ‘Luther’ the series and its recent movie spin-off ‘The Fallen Sun’ had their share of action.
‘Infernus’, though, promises to be something different.
Elba will play Donovan Kamara, a U.N. human rights activist sent to investigate reports of refugees being illegally detained inside a U.S. black site prison. A seemingly simple task turns deadly when the world’s most dangerous inmates break free. Kamara must work to safely extricate the refugees, all while going head-to-head with a brilliant criminal mastermind.
With the story crafted by Tom Boyle and the screenplay written by Robert Mark Kamen, Elba will kick off shooting on the movie on October 9th in London.
While most filming will be done in London, additional principal photography will take place in the new TD Akuna Studios in Ghana, a venture Elba — who has both Ghanaian and Sierre Leonean lineage — and partners Tony Tagoe and Danny Damah developed in order to help build the region’s film industry.
Here’s what Elba had to say about ‘Infernus’,
“I’m excited to be back in the director’s chair, partnering with Millennium Media. ‘Infernus’ is a gripping thriller with a relevant and intimate human story at its core. Thanks to the brilliant writing of Robert and Tom, we have some exceptional characters. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity both in front and behind the camera, filming across Europe, as well as bringing our production to Africa, which has an emerging film community that we are proud to be supporting.”
Jeffrey Greenstein, president at backers Millennium Media, is also enthused:
“It’s with great pleasure that we have the opportunity to create an entertaining and action-packed film alongside Idris, who in addition to being incredibly talented, is such a genuine and profound individual. We look forward to delivering a high-octane popcorn film that has character and soul, as well as an underlying message about the call for higher standards for mankind.”
Before he appears in that movie, though, Elba will be seen in Apple TV+’s new thriller series ‘Hijack’, about a plane seized on its way to London, and is filming Amazon’s action pic ‘Heads of State’, which also boasts his ‘The Suicide Squad’ co-star John Cena. And let’s not forget he’s the voice of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ spin-off character Knuckles in the new series based on the CG Echidna.
Idris Elba as Dr. Nate Samuels in ‘Beast,’ directed by Baltasar Kormákur.
Opening in select theaters on February 24th and premiering on Netflix beginning March 10th is the film version of the popular British TV series ‘Luther,’ which is entitled ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ and was directed by Jamie Payne and written by series creator Neil Cross.
What Happened on the ‘Luther’ Series?
‘Luther’ is a series that ran for five seasons on the BBC and starred Idris Elba as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther of the Serious Crime Unit. Luther is a brilliant and dedicated police officer, who is also obsessive and sometimes violent. After being suspended for the way he apprehends a child murderer, Luther returns to the squad and soon investigates a psychopath named Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), who he thinks murdered her parents.
Over the next five seasons, Luther and Alice play a cat and mouse game where she often helps the detective, not unlike Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling in ‘The Silence of the Lambs.’ Along the way, Luther’s obsession with catching criminals is tested by the trail of death left in his wake that has included his wife Zoe (Indira Varma), his partner Justin Ripley (Warren Brown), and colleague Benny (Michael Smiley). Season five ended with the murder of his new partner Catherine Halliday (Wunmi Mosaku) in cold blood by Alice, and Luther being arrested for the crime after Alice’s supposed death.
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Is ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ a Sequel and What is the Plot?
Yes, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is a sequel to the series and picks up after the events of season five, where Luther has been apparently cleared of Halliday’s murder. Luther’s superintendent, Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley), assigns him to the case of a gruesome serial killer named David Robey (Andy Serkis). The killer is using private cyber information to blackmail victims into committing crimes for him.
Robey soon realizes that Luther is a threat to his overall plans, and frames the detective for his past questionable behavior, sending him to prison so Robey can continue his despicable work. But when Robey begins taunting Luther behind bars, Luther plans an elaborate prison escape so he can stop Robey. Meanwhile, the new leader of the Serious Crime Unit, DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo) enlists Schenk to help her catch Luther and Robey. With the police after him and nowhere to turn, Luther must rely on his instincts to elude the police and catch Robey before he can complete his murderous plans.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun?’
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ stars Golden Globe and Emmy winner Idris Elba once again reprising his role as John Luther, and Dermot Crowley also returns as Martin Schenk, while the film features new cast members such as Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo (‘Harriet’) as DCI Odette Raine, and Andy Serkis (‘The Batman’) as David Robey.
The result is a very compelling and entertaining film adaption of the TV series, that is still completely enjoyable if you’ve never seen the show, but also fits in enough callbacks and Easter eggs for fans that have seen all five seasons. Neil Cross and Jamie Payne have successfully adapted the best parts of the series into a fast-paced theatrical movie, but its Idris Elba’s brilliant performance in his signature role that makes it truly worth seeing.
Film Adaption, Writing and Directing
While the first season of ‘Luther’ contained six episodes, most of the following seasons of the series have only had two to four episodes, which is probably why the show lends itself so well to a cinematic adaption. Jamie Payne directed the fifth season, and his work here is a continuation of what he started on the show, clearly understanding this story and its main character. Series creator Neil Cross wrote the script, and the villain he created for this movie, David Robey, is probably the best the series has seen since Alice Morgan.
But Cross wisely doesn’t reinvent the wheel, rather he builds off of the five previous seasons that has led the character of Luther to the place we find him at the start of the movie. The series has always taken inspiration from the classic detective show ‘Columbo,’ where the killer and their crimes are revealed at the beginning of the episode, and the fun is watching Peter Falk’s character solve the crime.
The film does the same, introducing us to Robey in the opening moments, and beginning his rivalry with Luther. Those not familiar with the series might see this as an odd way to open the film, but it is in line with the series, and both Cross and Payne pull it off creating a real cinematic tone.
While ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ does work as a standalone movie, it is also extremely rewarding for fans of the series, and those who have watched all five seasons will definitely have a stronger emotional tie to the film. For example, when Dermot Crowley’s Martin Schenk is told that Luther has escaped and is no longer in prison, his tired response, “Of course he’s not,” will ring truer for those familiar with John and Martin’s long friendship.
But new viewers should be aware, the first 10 minutes of the movie runs at lightning speed. In those opening moments, we are introduced to Robey and his crimes, Luther, Robey wanting to frame Luther, then Luther being arrested, tried, and convicted for his past crimes. Again, this all moves very quickly, as it needs to because we can’t have Luther in prison for the entire movie.
As a fan, this all works because we’ve seen the other five seasons of the series. Luther cut some corners and did some questionable things, so the pace in which he is arrested and sentenced, while still quick, makes more sense because we know the history of the show. But for those meeting Luther for the first time with ‘Fallen Sun,’ the beginning of the movie may move too fast for some to follow.
Yes he is, and so is Idris Elba, the actor that played him for five seasons on the series. Elba has become a bona fide movie star thanks to films like ‘Thor,’ ‘Pacific Rim,’ ‘The Suicide Squad,’ ‘Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw,’ and ‘Beast,’ but for fans of the BBC series, his signature role will always be as John Luther. Elba eases back into the part (and Luther’s wool coat), and is completely commanding as the character.
Luther has always been led by his moral compass, and will do whatever it takes for justice, however, this has led him to make some questionable choices in the past, that almost always leads to the death of a loved one. With Luther being sent to prison in ‘The Fallen Sun,’ it allows the character to reflect on his past choices and face the reckoning of his decisions. But, in true Luther fashion, he doesn’t spend a lot of time on self-reflection, and instead focusses on stopping Robey, even if that is not his job anymore.
No matter how smart the story, or how good the villain, the series and in-turn the movie would not work if not for Elba’s cool and multi-layered performance. Elba works well facing off against both Erivo and Serkis’ characters, but fans will really enjoy his scenes reuniting with Dermot Crowley and strengthening the relationship between John and Martin.
Andy Serkis plays David Robey, a tech billionaire and serial killer who uses surveillance technology to manipulate and kill civilians. Robey is a great ‘Luther’ advisory, and the best since Wilson’s Alice. He is also the “reckoning” that audiences have been waiting for, as he is the man that actually makes John Luther face the mistakes of his past. He is also a real threat to the citizens of London, making the urgency for Luther to escape from prison and stop him, all that more important.
Serkis is clearly having a lot of fun playing this evil character, and it’s probably the actor’s best villain portrayal since Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies. While Robey is clearly crazy and very menacing, Serkis also injects the character with vulnerabilities and a God complex, that makes him very interesting to watch. He has fantastic chemistry with Elba and Erivo, especially in the final moments of the film.
Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo is good as DCI Odette Raine, but the character falls into a similar trap as other ‘Luther’ adversaries from past seasons. She doesn’t agree with Luther’s methods and thinks he’s a “dirty cop,” so we spend half of the movie wondering when she will realize that working with Luther is the only way to stop Robey, and that Luther is not the real villain here. It’s a frustrating role for Erivo to play, but she pulls it off as best she can.
But fans of the series will be delighted to see Dermot Crowley return as Martin Schenk, the only other surviving member of the first season along with Luther. Crowley clearly knows this character, and Martin’s love, respect and understanding of Luther comes shining through. Martin is literally John’s only friend left alive, and the only person who truly understands the ordeal John has been through, mostly by his own choices. That respect is felt through the character, and some of the best scenes are between Crowley and Elba.
Unfortunately, the short answer is no. Not only does Ruth Wilson not appear in ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun,’ but Alice Morgan is not even mentioned, which I think is for the best. Wilson and Elba had fantastic onscreen chemistry together and Alice was certainly a very important part of the series, but as a fan, I think her time has gone.
As a character she was a bad influence on Luther and often encouraged him to stop doing what he does best, which is be a detective. From a storytelling stand point, there was not much left to do with the character, and she was starting to become a detriment to the show. While it seems that she is dead, you never really know with Alice, but I do hope they don’t bring her back again. ‘Fallen Sun’ ends with an interesting way that the character could live on in sequels, becoming more like a James Bond, and I’d hate to see that ruined by the unnecessary return of Alice Morgan.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is an extremely enjoyable standalone ‘Luther’ movie and maybe one of the best examples of a film adaption of a TV show capturing the magic of the original. Fans of the series will be rewarded for their loyalty to the show, and new audiences will be captivated by Idris Elba’s complicated hero, and Andy Serkis’ reprehensible villain.
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
The long awaited feature film adaption of the popular British Television series ‘Luther,’ which is entitled ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun,’ finally hit theaters on February 24th ahead of its March 10th Netflix release. The film was written by ‘Luther’ creator Neil Cross, and directed by ‘Luther’ season five director, Jamie Payne.
What is ‘Luther?’
‘Luther’ is a British television series that ran for five seasons on the BBC and starred Idris Elba (‘The Suicide Squad,’ ‘Beast’) as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther of the Serious Crime Unit. Luther is a brilliant and dedicated police officer, who is also obsessive and sometimes violent. Over the five seasons, Luther’s obsession with catching criminals is tested by the trail of death left in his wake that has included his wife Zoe (Indira Varma), his partner Justin Ripley (Warren Brown), and colleague Benny (Michael Smiley).
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What is the Plot of ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun?’
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is a sequel to the series and picks up after the events of season five. Luther’s superintendent, Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley), assigns him to the case of a gruesome serial killer named David Robey (Andy Serkis). The killer is using private cyber information to blackmail victims into committing crimes for him.
Robey soon realizes that Luther is a threat to his overall plans, and frames the detective for his past questionable behavior, sending him to prison so Robey can continue his despicable work. But when Robey begins taunting Luther behind bars, Luther plans an elaborate prison escape so he can stop the serial killer.
Meanwhile, the new leader of the Serious Crime Unit, DCI Odette Raine (Cynthia Erivo) enlists Schenk to help her catch Luther and Robey. With the police after him and nowhere to turn, Luther must rely on his instincts to elude the police and catch Robey before he can complete his murderous plans.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun?’
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ stars Idris Elba once again reprising his Golden Globe and Emmy winning role as John Luther, and Dermot Crowley also returning as Martin Schenk, while the film features new cast members such as Oscar-nominee Cynthia Erivo (‘Harriet’) as DCI Odette Raine, and Andy Serkis (‘The Batman’) as David Robey.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Andy Serkis and ‘Luther’ creator Neil Cross about their work on the new movie, the challenges of adapting the series, creating Serkis’ character, working with Idris Elba, and the future of the franchise.
Andy Serkis stars in Netflix’s ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Serkis, Cross, and director Jamie Payne.
Moviefone: To begin with, Neil, can you talk about the challenges of adapting the series into a film?
Neil Cross: Well, the challenges were personal rather than structural or transactional. I knew that we wanted to take this character, of whom I’m very fond and who plays an enormous part of my life, and tell a story about him in a different context against the bigger canvas with a bigger budget. But it was incredibly important that I do so without letting anybody down. That was the biggest challenge. And by that I mean Jamie Payne, I mean Idris himself, I mean, all of the fans who’ve been with us since season one, and I mean my kids and my wife. It was a function of not losing my mind and going mad, but telling the best story that I possibly could that respected this character and the people who followed him.
‘Luther’ creator and ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ screenwriter Neil Cross.
MF: Andy, were you a fan of the series before making the movie and working with Neil Cross?
Andy Serkis: I was a big fan of the series. Series one and two had come out and I started watching it then. I’d known Idris Elba from before that and I’d always wanted to work with him, but when I saw him play that role, I just thought, wow, he owns this character. So getting to come across him for real and act opposite him was great. He’s now played that character for ten years and just the sheer presence that he has, it’s indivisible really. Being on set with Idris, you don’t know whether he is Luther or whether he is Idris, and very rarely do you get that working with it with an actor who’s had the opportunity to imbibe a character like that for such a long time. So that was a real magical thing. Neil is one of the most delightful human beings. But he has a dark mind. It’s so incredible what he’s written over the years and takes you to places that you just don’t want to go. I nearly didn’t want to go on the journey on this one because David Robey, the character was so dark and I thought, I don’t know if I want to spend time in this guy’s company. Then when I started working on it, I took a step back and it is a great piece of writing. But what is it about this character that’s going to keep me on? It really was about technology and the use of technology, and our complete willingness to abjure any responsibility in this day and age. We’ve given up so much power to the internet. Then you have someone like David Robey who can manipulate that, and then hones in on someone specific who he wants to shame. John Luther thinks of himself as above everybody else because he’s a cop, and he can play by his own rules. So there’s a kind of hatred of hypocrisy that David Robey has and he wants to bring him down. I just think Neil is such a skilled crafts person in terms of making the ordinary horror, because David Robey’s only a fraction of what the real monster in this movie is, and the real monster is the internet and social media.
MF: Neil, David Robey is causing a reckoning for the city of London with his reign of terror, as well as for John Luther by revealing the sins of Luther’s past. Can you talk about creating the character and the cat and mouse game he plays with Luther?
NC: Well, that’s absolutely the case. I’m fascinated by the power of our shame, and I’m fascinated by the degree of power over our freedom that shame has. Sometimes people would go to war. People would go over the top at Passchendaele or the Somme because they were too embarrassed not to. It was too shameful not to. The fear of shame really is stronger than the fear of death in the right circumstances, which kind of gives someone like Robey who has access to our shame, unlimited power over us, which is kind of very Mephistopheles and very devilish, a very kind of folkloric figure to bring into the modern world. Then of course, we have John Luther himself, who, as he’s moved through the world, has accumulated his own burden of shame. I thought it was an interesting way to begin the story that Robey weaponizes Luther’s past. A new audience doesn’t need to know the specifics of what he’s done, but the returning audience does know some of it. Robey is able to take the weight of that shame and jiu-jitsu it such that Luther is helpless and locked away enabling Robey to do his thing abroad on the dark streets of London and elsewhere.
MF: Andy, can you talk about your approach to playing Robey and his antagonistic relationship with Luther?
AS: I mean, because he knows that John Luther prides himself as someone who can see people, who can really see them. Robey’s defense of that is the fact that he’s invisible. He’s almost nonexistent he’s that invisible. He is the specter that no one can pin down because he really isn’t anything. He’s unremarkable in every sense, although he’s got lots of money and he’s made his money through tech, he actually doesn’t connect with humanity. He is so removed from humanity and has removed himself from humanity, isolated and deeply lonely. That is the weird tragedy of the character, is that he cannot connect in any way. He can only observe, manipulate and voyeuristically suck people’s lives out of little boxes that he watches on monitors through their own devices in their houses and actually sort of construct a version of himself through that. That goes from his observations of their physicality or what their actions might be as they walk from room to room in their own house, to what they wear, what they dress like and how they do their hair. He imbibes all of those elements of these people, and deconstructs little pieces of people and then builds himself up as a version of that. So he really truly is a reflection of the society that he’s watching. Including Luther, absolutely, crucially.
MF: Neil, besides Luther, Martin Schenk is the only character from season one to appear in the film, and in many ways, Martin is the only friend John has left. Can you talk about the long friendship between John and Martin and how that is depicted in this movie?
NC: He really is. I mean, we first met him in the TV show as he was a kind of police corruption investigator who became Luther’s boss and who was, gently corrupted is too strong a word, but Luther kind of pulled him over into the Luther way of doing things as the series progressed. They’ve got a very unique, but nevertheless, I think instantly recognizable father/son, spy/handler relationship going on. The relationship on screen is underwritten by a real life fondness between these two men who’ve known each other for a long time and you can feel it. You can feel the depth of it. There’s a delightful gameplay between them. Without giving the story away, they have a bet. Is Luther going to do what he does before Schenk catches Luther? And there’s no malice in that. There’s no hatred in it. It’s just gameplay. But it’s underwritten all the time by something not unakin to love, I think. Luther still calls him boss.
MF: Andy, there is a scene in the movie where Luther is back on the streets, he puts on his signature wool coat, and is standing on a rooftop overlooking his city. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think of Batman, and there is a similarity between John Luther and the Dark Knight. Since you have now worked on both franchises, do you think there is a connection between the two fictional characters?
AS: Absolutely. In many ways people have also drawn kind of comparisons to James Bond. But I think the comparison to Batman is a lot stronger in many ways because with Bond there are no kind of rough edges, he’s not a failure in any way. Bond is kind of perfect in a sense, whereas Bruce Wayne has so much vulnerability and yet he has to construct a shell to get through. The coat is the cape and ‘Luther’ Land is a version of Gotham in its own way. It’s a London kind of like Gotham, elevated but it actually satirizes the real world that we live in. It’s an elevated version of London, and particularly actually in this movie, it looks amazing. London looks incredible in ‘The Fallen Sun,’ and the way that Jamie Payne has shot. Even from the opening frame, just looking through all of those windows and all the iconic places in London, but then the darker, less known areas, it really does feel like a big character in this film.
MF: Andy, besides Idris Elba’s brilliant performance, what do you think it is about the character of John Luther that resonates so much with audiences?
AS: I think it’s the fact that he isn’t perfect. I think he really is a kind of an anti-hero in a way. Although he’s instinctive, he doesn’t play by the rules, but he has his own moral logic, I suppose. Actually that is what David Robey hates is the fact that it’s okay for him to have his own moral logic, but I can’t have mine. Who’s he to judge me? But I think that’s what people like is they want someone who is fighting for right, and will try to do anything. He’s unrelenting in his pursuit of trying to right wrongs, but he doesn’t always get it right. It often backfires on him hugely. But when that happens, he’s always willing to go, “I screwed up there.” There’s something very human about that, which is appealing.
MF: Finally, Neil, is the TV series officially over? Is the plan to continue making ‘Luther’ movies, if this one is successful?
NC: That is the plan. The TV series is done. If we’re lucky, the fans will get to see more ‘Luther’ like this.
Making the leap from small screen to big can be a daunting prospect. But when you’re John Luther, brought to TV screens by Idris Elba, you tend to face any challenge with your considerable smarts––and willingness to break the rules when you deem it necessary.
‘Luther’ the series, created by Neil Cross, has featured Elba’s tough nut British police detective solving many a case, but frequently crossing the line to do so. And now, for a Netflix film entitled ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun,’ that continues the story of the show, when we find Luther, he’s languishing in prison.
“He’s done so much to bend the law in order to catch the bad guys that he’s ended up in jail,” Elba tells the streaming service’s TUDUM blog. “That’s where we start the story. This old case that didn’t really ever get solved creeps up back into his life. And John can’t help but find a way to get involved. This bad guy is out there and he has to go out and get him.”
That bad guy is millionaire David Robey, a tech magnate who uses his considerable resources to discover and exploit the dark secrets of others in the service of blackmail.
Portraying Robey in Andy Serkis, who discovered that the character was beyond even what he expected. “I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite as dark for a long time,” he told Total Film magazine, admitting that the script had him asking, “do I really actually at this point in the world and time and my life, want to go down this particular rabbit hole of something that’s so hard to fathom in humanity?”
“Robey really just comes from this tension between morality and ethics,” says ‘Luther’ creator Neil Cross in the same interview. “True morality is the kind of behavior that you exhibit when you know that nobody is watching. But we’ve ceded lots of that private behavior to the semi-private forum of the internet. I’m terrified by the idea that somebody, in fact, is watching.”
The movie––which we now know will be released in select theaters on February 24th, two weeks before its arrival on Netflix’s servers––sees Luther headed outside of London’s grimy streets for snowy pastures new. But the main man is still going to be the person we know…
“Luther’s an unstoppable force,” says director Jamie Payne. “But up to this point, he’s had to tread around the law of the police, because that was his job. Now, he’s a fugitive. This is Luther untethered. This man is so forward in his thinking and is in action. He’s like a wrecking ball, but the smartest wrecking ball you’ve ever met in your life.”
Idris Elba as DCI John Luther in Netflix’s ‘Luther.’
Since 2010, we’ve gotten used to (well, we say “gotten used to”, but we’ve had to put up with ever-bigger gaps between seasons as Elba’s movie career continued to blossom and other work took him elsewhere) seeing Idris Elba stalking the streets of London, talking tough and (mostly) solving cases as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, a genius investigator whose quick mind somehow can’t figure out his self-destructive tendencies. Your usual tough-nut police leading man, then
But what Elba brings to Luther (in collaboration with creator/writer Neil Cross) has lifted it from the standard tropes and conventions of the genre; not to mention the stalwart supporting cast and the breakout likes of Ruth Wilson as psycho killer Alice Morgan, who haunts and taunts our hero through most of the series, either directly or from the shadows.
The last time we saw John Luther on our TVs was 2019, but for years now, Cross and Elba have talked (or fielded questions) about a potential movie starring Luther, and, thanks to Netflix, it’s finally on its way.
Long in development, ‘Luther‘ will see Elba once again donning the overcoat, which will come in even handier than usual as, evidenced by one of the first pictures from the film, Luther’s headed to the snowy climes of some unknown mountains.
“We really peel the onion back here because we had the time and scale to do that,” Elba told Empire recently. “It also gives Neil [Cross] a lot more Luther-land to play with, in terms of where Luther can go, how he goes, what the landscape is.” Literally in the film’s case. “We break out of the gritty streets of London, we take it outside of that a little bit,” Elba explains. “And that’s great. It feels like now we’re entering a different life of the Luther experience.”
Idris Elba as DCI John Luther in Netflix’s ‘Luther.’
The pair was also careful to avoid some of the pitfalls of turning a series into a movie, even with the decent budget that Netflix offered.
“It’s really dangerous when expanding from television to film to throw a lot of money at it, and for that moment to change the characteristics of the show,” Elba says. “I wanted to make sure that even though we had a bigger budget, we didn’t distort the parameters of Luther-land too much. We do amplify the action and do amplify the stakes.”
Jamie Payne, who directed several of the show’s episodes, is behind the camera here, with production kicking off a little over a year ago. But beyond Dermot Crowley returning as Detective Superintendent Schenk, there’s no word yet of whether the regular supporting cast will be back. Still, we can expect to see both Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo on screen.
According to Netflix, the movie will land in March next year.
Idris Elba as DCI John Luther on BBC Studios’ ‘Luther.’
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