John Luther is back four years after his BBC conclusion and we discuss if you should watch the Luther TV series before The Fallen Sun, confirm the movie’s release date, and confirm where you can watch the TV series should you decide on a last-minute binge.
The British television series debuted back in 2010, with a second season following in 2011, a third in 2013, a limited, two-episode fourth season in 2015, and a four-episode fifth season, serving as the conclusion, in 2019.
Directed by Jamie Payne and written by Neil Cross, the crime thriller, Luther: The Fallen Sun, is considered to be a feature film continuation of the popular series of the same name, starring Idris Elba as the titular detective, accompanied by Cynthia Erivo and Andy Serkis.
Should you watch the Luther TV series before The Fallen Sun?
No, watching the Luther TV series is not vital to view before embarking on The Fallen Sun on Netflix.
The main reason why The Fallen Sun will be accessible to newcomers is that the movie has a completely separate story from the main series.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director, Payne, explained how the team wanted The Fallen Sun to be friendly to viewers unfamiliar with the BBC series:
“The story in some ways continues – if you binge the series from season one to the film, the story is continuous. But because the film has got such a larger platform, we thought it was important that if someone was watching the film for the first time that it had its own story. So you could watch the film and go back and then binge the series. It was important to all of us that the audience could find a way into the series, and to the lore.”

Where to watch Luther TV series
If you decide to seek out the Luther TV series to get familiar with the character and the tone of the hit show, then there are a few places you can stream it.
British viewers will know that the series originally aired on the BBC, which means all seasons are available to watch on the BBC iPlayer.
For interested parties stateside, Hulu also offers the complete Luther collection, however, a subscription is needed to access this content.
Alternatively, UK viewers can use the Sky Store to stream all episodes, and you can also buy episodes from Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store.
Luther: The Fallen Sun release date
Luther: The Fallen Sun’s release date is set on February 24, 2023, in select cinemas, therefore, you should check your local cinema to see if it’s playing near you beforehand.
After its cinema run, The Fallen Sun will receive a second release on Netflix, a couple of weeks later on March 10, 2023.
The official synopsis for the movie reads:
“In the 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.”
Additionally, Idris Elba may also have “big things cooking” over at DC, after the studio announced part of its ten-year plan for the DCU.
By Jo Craig – [email protected]