In news that will make everyone who isn’t a Fox executive shrug and say, “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Fox has temporarily delayed the American remake of Luther due to difficulties finding a leading man who can replace Idris Elba. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has decided to wait until the end of the casting rush of pilot season to resume its search for a leading man.
It seems that this pilot season has been particularly trying when it comes to finding leads for new shows. Evidence of just how hard it is to find a charismatic star to anchor a new show is perhaps best demonstrated with the fact that Fox apparently briefly considering having starving artist Marlon Wayans star in the Luther remake. And now that the success of Empire and How To Get Away With Murder has reminded television executives that humans other than white guys exist, the latest pilot season is shaping up to be somewhat diverse for a change. (“Who would’ve thought—successful shows with black stars,” says Redd Foxx to Sherman Hemsley.)
Of course, even with the show being pushed out of pilot season, this whole Luther thing assumes that there is another guy out there with the same amount of sex appeal and charisma as Idris Elba. No doubt Elba and original Luther scribe Neil Cross (who is also penning the remake) have fallen victim to the same stories that drove generations of immigrants to seek a better life in America. “Let’s head across the pond, where the streets are paved in gold and there’s an Idris Elba on every corner,” Cross probably said to Elba. Of course, in England, they call corners “crumpets.”