Idris Elba's 'Luther' Is Getting An American Remake

Luther is coming to America. Fox is developing a U.S. remake of the BBC crime drama, which centered on a brilliant but troubled detective. (As if there's any other kind of detective on TV these days.) Original Luther creator Neil Cross is on board as writer and executive producer, and original Luther star Idris Elba will executive produce as well. Hit the jump for more details on the Luther US remake. Deadline reports Fox has given the Luther US remake a put pilot commitment with a seven-figure penalty, meaning odds are good it'll get picked up to series. The network already has another series about a self-destructive genius detective based on a European property lined up, the midseason dramedy Backstrom.

The British original centered around John Luther (Elba), one of London's most talented detectives. He's passionate and committed to his job, maybe too much so — he tends to be obsessive and hotheaded, and he struggles to deal with his own demons. Luther ran from 2010-2013, tallying up a total of 14 episodes across 3 seasons. The show, which aired in the U.S. via BBC America, has earned eight Emmy nominations in total including ones for Best Miniseries and Best Actor.

Elba is quite familiar with American TV, having starred on HBO's The Wire. He's also done recurring guest stints on The Office (hey, another British import) and The Big C. Cross most recently created the pirate drama Crossbones, which was cancelled by NBC during its first season.

Luther is just the latest European crime drama to get Americanized. However, the results so far have been mixed. The Killing lasted four seasons against all odds, but NBC's Prime Suspect was axed after one season, Fox's Gracepoint has struggled in the ratings, and FX's The Bridge was recently cancelled after two seasons.

If the problem is that these shows failed to differentiate themselves, Luther doesn't seem like the solution. The American TV landscape isn't exactly lacking in grumpy detectives with personal problems. The Luther US remake will have to be nearly as extraordinary as its predecessor to stand out.