Idris Elba’s name has flown about every corner of the internet with James Bond and Star Trek speculation, but December will see the Luther star returning to one of his most popular roles. The BBC has officially scheduled a one-night event for the next Luther special, also revealing our first photos and details.

Rather than debut the new Luther special as a miniseries, The BBC has opted for a one-night special airing on December 17, running near of a full three hours. In addition to our first photos, the network also released a summary with numerous guest stars, including Game of Thrones favorite Rose Leslie:

This time we find Luther on a leave of absence from the police force, laying low in a rundown cottage. A visit from colleagues, Detective Chief Inspector Theo Bloom (Darren Boyd, Veep, The World’s End) and Detective Sergeant Emma Lane (Rose Leslie, The Last Witch Hunter, Game of Thrones) brings a shocking piece of news that draws him back to London in search of the truth. At the same time, a gruesome cannibalistic serial killer has struck the city, eating body parts as he goes. With a trail of clues leading from one crime scene to the next, Detective Superintendent Unit Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley, Babel, Bleak House) and his team must work out the twisted logic that connects each victim. But this murdering mastermind is more than a match for Schenk’s police, outsmarting them at every step. It’s not long before Luther makes his triumphant return to the Bullpen, determined to capture the killer before another mutilated body joins the mounting pile. But he’s dogged at every turn by ghosts from his past. Isolated and volatile, it will take every fiber of Luther’s being to keep it together. Written and created by Emmy®-nominated Neil Cross and directed by Sam Miller (No Good Deed, Fortitude) the Luther special also stars Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy, Ripper Street, Da Vinci’s Demons)as Megan Cantor, a mysterious woman from Luther’s past, John Heffernan (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Ripper Street) as the sadistic cannibal Steven Rose, Patrick Malahide (Indian Summers, Game of Thrones) as George Cornelius, an old school gangster, and Michael Smiley (Doctor Who, Ripper Street) returning as computer whiz Benny Silver.

BBC

BBC

BBC

While we wait for a full trailer, check out the photos above, and prepare for Luther to hit the streets again on December 17.