Hollywood actor Idris Elba has confirmed that he is due to start filming the highly-anticipated Luther spin-off later this year.

The hit BBC detective series was designed to be a modern mix of infamous sleuth Sherlock Holmes and gritty American investigator Columbo.

48-year-old Elba’s acting skills and presence helped to bring much-revived character back to life as he embodied the role of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther.

Showrunner Neil Cross announced that he wouldn't be pursuing a sixth season of the series last year, disappointing the show's global fanbase.

The future of the character seemed uncertain, given the worldwide lockdown restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It initially implied that Luther wouldn’t hang up his coat just yet.

During an appearance on The All-New Capital Weekender on Friday, Idris told host MistaJam about his plans for this year.

"Definitely making more music, people that love my film and stuff, listen, I’m going to be making Luther: The Movie," he confirmed.

"I’m super excited and I hope the fans are sort of excited for that. It’s been a long time coming for a movie, for people that have loved the show. We’ve been making the show for 10 years, so we’re making a film."

Fans were panicked, given that the show had ended on a cliffhanger. Luther's beloved story will be now wrapped up in the forthcoming film, it seems.

In other Elba news, the DJ linked up with Toronto-based rapper and producer Connor Price to release a video for a song called 'Courteney Cox' last month.