Idris Elba wants Luther movie to spark James Bond style franchise

Idris Elba hopes his 'Luther' movie will be the start of his own James Bond style action franchise.

The 50-year-old actor is bringing the BBC crime series - written by Neil Cross - to the big screen, and shooting has wrapped on the project.

Idris has long been linked to the role of 007, and has reportedly been considered for the part again following Daniel Craig's decision to step away from the series, but he believes DCI John Luther’s first foray into cinemas will be the start of his own blockbuster series that can rival the exploits of Bond.

Speaking on the 'Jemele Hill is Unbothered' podcast, he said: “It's incredible, it's like graduating. The television show ran a natural course, we did five seasons and each one of them shape-shifted but kept an audience captivated for 10 years. The graduation point is where we get to take that Luther character and elevate him to the big screen with a wider spectrum of scale, stories we can tell, maybe even take it international in terms of who Luther is. It's a huge achievement for all of us who have written it. Also what I'm happy about is that I saw the film, we shot the film, and if you've never seen an episode of Luther you can still be invited into the first chapter of the film series, I'm hoping that this movie literally becomes my Bond, everyone talks about Bond but, for me, it's Luther.”

Meanwhile, Idris recently admitted he wants to make more movies in Africa.

The British star's latest film 'Beast' was shot in South Africa and sees his character Dr. Nate Samuels battle a rogue lion hunting him and his daughters.

Idris - whose mother and father hail from Ghana and Sierra Leone respectively - now has the ambition to develop the industry in Africa.

He said: "I'm really keen on the development of Africa. My parents come from Africa and more than anywhere in the world, I feel like that continent deserves some real tender care and love and thought.

"Young Africans view me as a leader or a beacon. And I feel like I could bring something. So I'm keen to bring what I've learned in media and amplify it in Africa."

"I'm a fan of the Nigerian (film) industry. I'm a fan of the South African industry. Ghana has a very small industry. And I'm a fan of the content creators in Africa, especially West Africa.

"These kids that have these smartphones are making incredible content. And I feel like it's overlooked. So I'm really a fan of trying to harness that and help that grow."