Hit BBC crime drama Luther could return as a big screen prequel telling the story of the crime fighting east London detective chief inspector's rise through the ranks.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV festival, series creator Neil Cross said he hoped to take Idris Elba's maverick police officer back to the start of his career, a move that would also involve restoring many of the series' original castmembers. He is hoping the film will therefore appeal both to hardcore fans and those who have never seen the series.

"I've written the script and we hope to get the film made next year," said Cross, who has also written a Luther novel and is working on a second. "Idris is a brilliant leading man and we've hoped to turn Luther into a movie for a long time. It will follow his career in the earlier days, when he is still married to Zoe, and the final scene in the film is the first of the initial TV series."

The prequel would also restore Luther's sidekick Justin Ripley (Warren Brown) to life, as well as his shamed colleague Ian Reed (Steven Mackintosh). Slain wife Zoe (Indira Varma) would also return.

Canning Town-born Elba won a Golden Globe for his performances as Luther, which has now run for three seasons and proven popular across the globe, last year. He has previously expressed interest in taking the series to cinemas. "That's where the ultimate Luther story will unfold, is in the big silver screen — London as a huge backdrop and a very menacing, horrible character to play against," he told the BBC in 2011.

The British actor's profile has never been higher following standout turns in blockbuster fare such as superhero movie Thor and sci-fi spectacular Pacific Rim. He is also being tipped for Oscar success next year for his upcoming role as Nelson Mandela in the biopic Long Walk to Freedom.

Fellow Briton Ruth Wilson has also seen her star rise in Hollywood after hitting the public consciousness following her turn as Luther's murderous confidante Alice Morgan in the BBC show. However, New Zealand-based Cross said there would be no place for her in the prequel film, as the detective does not meet her until later in the timeline.