We highly enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of Sherlock (2010-2017), and now he's making his return to TV. After seeing him in big screen projects like The Imitation Game (2014) and Doctor Strange (2016), we can now look for him in The 39 Steps, reports Deadline. 

The story is based on John Buchan's 1915 novel by the same name, which was made into a feature length film by director Alfred Hitchcock in 1935.

The original story takes place right before World War I, but according to Deadline, it sounds like this adaptation will be set in the modern day.

The description reads: "An ordinary man, Richard Hannay, becomes an unwitting pawn in a vast, global conspiracy to reset the world order: 39 Steps that will change the world as we know it, with only Hannay standing in the way."

The limited series will be written by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) and directed by Edward Berger, who worked with Cumberbatch on the series Patrick Melrose.

If you haven't seen it already, here's a look at the trailer for Hitchcock's 1935 version of the story:

There have been three other movie adaptations since 1935, premiering in 1959, 1978 and 2008.

The spy thriller series is in early stages, and has yet to receive a start date.

Any thoughts on why this story is so popular?