Idris Elba stars in first trailer for Luther Christmas special

Idris Elba's hard-hitting detective has been off our screens for some time, but the good news is Luther is returning to our televisions this Christmas for a one-off special.

Take your a first look at the two-part special with a brand new trailer, which sees Luther return to form after fans thought we'd seen the last of the rogue cop.

The last series - which finished two years ago - tied up loose ends and left fans satisfied, but still yearning for more. One reason for the massive Luther drought is Elba's busy Hollywood schedule, which has seen him filming big blockbusters such as Star Trek Beyond and The Jungle Book.

Elba says: "It’s great we’ve been able to do this Luther special. John is so close to my heart, he’s part of me. The fans won’t be disappointed with his return – it’s explosive and definitely goes up a gear!"

The trailer gives us enough to get excited about, with a mean, violent and incredibly intense vibe running through it. It's due to air in two parts in the run up to Christmas, and will feature Michael Smiley and former Game of Thrones actor Rose Leslie.

Starring Elba, Smiley, Leslie, Laura Haddock, John Heffernan, Patrick Malahide, Darren Boyd and Dermot Crowley, Luther will begin on BBC One on December 15.

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Mike scribbles at MTV, Yahoo Movies, BuzzFeed, GoThinkBig and Live for Films. As a huge animation and sci-fi fan, his favourite movies include Spirited Away and District 9.