Creator Neil Cross Says He's Planning A 'Luther' Movie, Rewrote 'Pacific Rim' For Guillermo Del Toro

You may or may not have seen any of "Luther," a crime procedural from the BBC that stars "The Wire" breakout Idris Elba as the titular cop, the kind of rule-eschewing maverick that cliches are made of. We wouldn't blame you for skipping it by, on BBC America or elsewhere, but it's actually a ton of fun for fans of the genre, partly thanks to the excellent performances of Elba (who was Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated), and Ruth Wilson, as his Hannibal Lecter-style nemesis/BFF, and partly because it embraces its own so ridiculousness with a big warm hug. There are few other shows that would see a Satanist villian lick a woman's face in the opening few minutes.

Crime novelist Neil Cross, who created the show is a man on the up, having just been named one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2012, and in the trade's interview with him, he's got some good news for fans of the series: while the upcoming third series is likely to be its last, Cross says that "There's a strong possibility that there'll be a 'Luther' movie in the near future." Seeing as how Idris Elba's star is on the rise, taking what's fast becoming his best-known character (that isn't Stringer Bell) onto the big screen seems like a viable move, although this is clearly early stages for the project -- it may only be vague discussions at this point.

In the meantime, we'll be seeing more of Cross' work in conjunction with one of the biggest directors around. His two feature scripts -- the currently-filming horror "Mama" which stars Jessica Chastain, and an actioner called "Midnight Delivery" -- are being produced by Guillermo Del Toro who has also enlisted the writer for a polish on his upcoming giant-budget monster movie "Pacific Rim," which coincidentally stars Elba in a leading role. Whether he gets credit won't be decided for a while, but we're intrigued to see what Cross has brought to the project. The third season of "Luther" will air in 2012, with a movie presumably following some time after if the stars align, while "Mama" will likely premiere next year as well. As for "Pacific Rim," it hits stateside on May 10, 2013.