The Luther Movie Script Is So Dark It Made Andy Serkis Want To 'Throw It In The Bin And Have A Shower'

The BBC One series "Luther" is one of the most brutally bleak detective shows ever made, but actor Andy Serkis was apparently shocked with just how dark the movie was going to be when he first read the script. Serkis is playing the film's villain, a millionaire serial killer who uses technology to blackmail his enemies and force others to do his bidding. GamesRadar released an image of Serkis from the upcoming film, along with some quotes from an interview with Total Film, and Serkis said he was genuinely taken aback by the depths of human wickedness within the script — almost enough to not want to take part. 

Serkis's reaction to screenplay for "Luther: The Fallen Sun" reminds me of when Patrick Stewart read the script for Jeremy Saulnier's punk-rock siege thriller "Green Room" and immediately had to pour himself some whiskey to finish it. Stewart went on to give one of the best performances of his career as the absolutely atrocious leader of a group of skinheads, so maybe that bodes well for Serkis playing the baddie to Idris Elba's antihero, DCI John Luther. The "Luther" movie will take place after the events of the show's fifth season, with Luther in prison for a homicide he didn't commit, and Serkis's maniacal murderous millionaire on the loose. That's a pretty dark place to start a movie, and knowing "Luther," I imagine it only gets gnarlier from there.

Serkis's killer character, David Robey (seen above in a robey), has gone up against Luther in the past, but with the daring detective behind bars, he's able to really wreak havoc. He uses advanced technology to spy on people, including tracking their actions on the internet and even the dark web. He uses that information to manipulate people, helping him get away with what sounds like literal murder. Serkis told Total Film: 

"When I first read the script, I almost wanted to throw it in the bin and have a shower. I don't think I've come across anything quite as dark for a long time. And I thought: 'In fact, 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?'"

Yikes. I'll never forget recommending the series to my dad and having him tell me it was "actually too intense," so maybe Serkis isn't alone in his feelings. "Luther" is a murder mystery police procedural that gets into the grittiest, nastiest bits of humanity that most other shows aren't willing to delve into, and it sounds like "The Fallen Sun" is going to do the series justice. 

"Luther: The Fallen Sun" will premiere on Netflix in March 2023.