Idris Elba Returns to Iconic Role as LUTHER for One-Night Only Event Tonight

Golden Globe(R) winner Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation, Star Trek Beyond) returns to his iconic role as a self-destructive near-genius detective on the edge of law enforcement. Detective Chief Inspector John LUTHER (Elba) will learn the hard way; he may never be able to walk away from capturing the tormented psychopaths that lurk the streets of London. His attempt to leave the darker side of humanity behind for a chance at a "normal" life is quickly thwarted when he's drawn into a terrifyingly complex case. A cannibalistic serial killer delivers a devastating blow that not only pulls him out of seclusion but pushes him closer to the edge than he's ever been. A BBC America co-production, the gripping, psychological thriller LUTHER makes its highly-anticipated return in a one-night special event tonight, December 17, 9:00pm ET.

Struggling to cope with his own demons after losing so much, it seemed normalcy would always elude the emotionally impulsive detective. Teflon tough, even the strongest couldn't endure what LUTHER has seen and been through. Hunting London's most depraved criminals forced him to tap into the dark recesses of his mind, revealing sides of himself that would horrify most. The heartbreaking loss of his wife to a brutal murderer and his inner-circle of colleagues turning on him in a witch hunt weren't enough to keep him away from the job. But watching his most trusted colleague and friend, Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley (Warren Brown, The Dark Knight Rises, Inside Men), die in his arms after getting caught in the crossfires of a case, finally pushed him over the slippery slope he's always towed. A FORBIDDEN connection with serial-killer, Alice Morgan, offered him a somewhat skewed version of a happy ending and he took it.

Elba on Luther's challenges: "I think there were bigger challenges when he lost his wife and his best friend... . That was a huge pinnacle and something that it took him a long time to get over. And in this [special] there is something similar that happens to him that is definitely traumatic."

This time we find LUTHER on a leave of absence from the police force, laying low in a rundown cottage. A visit from colleagues, Detective Chief Inspector Theo Bloom (Darren Boyd, Veep, The World's End) and Detective Sergeant Emma Lane (Rose Leslie, The Last Witch Hunter, Game of Thrones) brings a shocking piece of news that draws him back to London in search of the truth. At the same time, a gruesome cannibalistic serial killer has struck the city, eating body parts as he goes. With a trail of clues leading from one crime scene to the next, Detective Superintendent Unit Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley, Babel, Bleak House) and his team must work out the twisted logic that connects each victim. But this murdering mastermind is more than a match for Schenk's police, outsmarting them at every step. It's not long before LUTHER makes his triumphant return to the Bullpen, determined to capture the killer before another mutilated body joins the mounting pile. But he's dogged at every turn by ghosts from his past. Isolated and volatile, it will take every fiber of Luther's being to keep it together.

Elba on Luther's return to the Bullpen: "I think LUTHER goes back just because he can't stay away from it for too long. Ultimately, because he's a protector, [he] just wants to be able to fix what he can see other people won't be able to ... "

Idris Elba has garnered both Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) nominations for his role as DCI John Luther, with a Golden Globe(R) win in 2013. He was also honored at the 42nd NAACP Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.

Written and created by Emmy(R)-nominated Neil Cross and directed by Sam Miller (No Good Deed, Fortitude) the LUTHER special also stars Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy, Ripper Street, Da Vinci's Demons)as Megan Cantor, a mysterious woman from Luther's past, John Heffernan (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Ripper Street) as the sadistic cannibal Steven Rose, Patrick Malahide (Indian Summers, Game of Thrones) as George Cornelius, an old school gangster, and Michael Smiley (Doctor Who, Ripper Street) returning as computer whiz Benny Silver.

CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS:

DCI John LUTHER Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation, Star Trek Beyond)
DS Justin Ripley Warren Brown (Inside Men, Good Cop)
DCI Theo Bloom Darren Boyd (Veep, The World's End)
DS Emma Jones Rose Leslie (The Last Witch Hunter, Game of Thrones)
DSU Martin Schenk Dermot Crowley (Babel, Bleak House)
Benny Silver Michael Smiley (Doctor Who, Ripper Street)
Megan Cantor Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy, Ripper Street)
George Cornelius Patrick Malahide (Indian Summers, Game of Thrones)
Steven Rose John Heffernan (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Ripper Street)

Writer Neil Cross (Mama, Doctor Who)

Director Sam Miller (No Good Deed, MI-5)

Executive Producer Elizabeth Kilgarriff (Upstairs Downstairs)

Producer Marcus Wilson (Doctor Who, Whitechapel)

Luther is a BBC America and BBC In-House Drama Production co-production distributed by BBC Worldwide. The executive producer is Elizabeth Kilgarriff for BBC Drama Production, England and the producer is Marcus Wilson.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and AMC Networks, BBC America has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including four Emmy(R) Awards, five Golden Globes(R) and 12 Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in nearly 80 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.BBCAmerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

Image courtesy of BBC America

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