Multi-award-winning crime drama series Luther will be returning to BBC One. The new four-part series written by Neil Cross and starring Idris Elba, who has received a Golden Globe and SAG Award for his performance in the role of John Luther, will start filming early next year. Here's what series creator Neil Cross had to say in a statement about why Luther is coming back.

"Now what? It's a question Idris and I get asked a lot. What happened to John Luther after we last saw him striding unbowed through the streets of his city, his blood red London? It can't be over, can it? There's so much we don't know. So much unfinished business. The thing is, we've been asking ourselves the same question. Because we love John and wonder what he's up to. And as for me, I'm scared of the monsters. The face at the window. The hand under the bed. The shadow at the end of the street. Who's going to stop them, if not John Luther? In the end, we picked up the phone to some old friends and asked if they'd like to find out what happens next. It turns out, they would. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to find out what happens next. Now what? Luther's coming back. That's what."

The series debuted in 2010 with six 60-minute episodes, returning in 2011 for the second season. After that second season, though, the show has taken more extended hiatuses, with Season 3 debuting in 2013 and Luther Season 4, a two-episode mini-series, debuting in late 2015. BBC has not announced a premiere date for Luther Season 5, but it may be ready for a late 2018 debut, if filming starts early next year. Here's what Idris Elba had to say about the return of Luther in his statement.

"Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season and I am thrilled that we have been able to bring it all together. I look forward to putting the coat back on."

Luther has earned a total of eleven Emmy nominations, while Elba has earned a Golden Globe award, his first Screen Actors Guild award, an NAACP Image Award and a Critics' Choice Award for the role. We reported in November 2014 that Fox was moving forward with a Luther remake, which both Idris Elba and Neil Cross were executive producing, but it was indefinitely delayed, since the pilot was green lit with a casting contingency, and the producers couldn't find a suitable leading man. Here's what Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said in his statement.

"Luther is one of BBC One's most iconic dramas and we're thrilled that Idris Elba is reprising his role as John Luther. Neil Cross' plans for his return promise some big surprises for what will be an utterly heart stopping and unmissable fifth series."

Aside from Idris Elba, no other cast members have been confirmed yet for this new season of Luther. Other regular cast members include Warren Brown as DS Justin Ripley, Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schenk, Michael Smiley as Benny Silver, Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan and Paul McGann as Mark North, who have all been with the series since the beginning. Last season introduced Laura Haddock as Megan Cantor, Rose Leslie as DS Emma Lane and Patrick Malahide as George Cornelius, although it hasn't been confirmed if they will return quite yet. Here's what Hilary Salmon, BBC Studios Executive Producer, said in her statement.

"We are tremendously proud to be bringing Neil Cross' iconic show Luther back to BBC One. The return of John Luther always feels like an event but this time we will be pulling out all the stops to make the show bigger, bolder and of course more scary than ever."

Luther (4x60') has been commissioned by Piers Wenger and Charlotte Moore, and is produced by BBC Studios, the BBC's commercial production arm and co-produced with BBC America. Executive producers are Idris Elba and Neil Cross, Marcus Wilson and Hilary Salmon for BBC Studios and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC.