(Photo: Getty Images)

Richard Rankin has landed the title role in Rebus, a new detective series based on Ian Rankin's popular Inspector Rebus novels.

Deadline reports that the new series has been commissioned by Nordic streamer Viaplay, with Gregory Burke (Entebbe, '71) on board as its writer. Inspector John Rebus, a talented but rather world-weary detective based in Edinburgh, Scotland, was previously portrayed by John Hannah and then Ken Stott in an ITV drama series that ran from 2000 to 2007.

Richard Rankin, known for his roles as Roger Wakefield in Outlander and Dr. Alex Kiernan in Trust Me, will portray Rebus as a 40-year-old man who is facing personal and professional challenges. These include a snafu with a notorious Edinburgh gangster and a romantic affair that he is trying to call time on.

The actor said in a statement that he "feels very lucky to be given the honor of bringing such an iconic Scottish character back to TV screens." Meanwhile, Ian Rankin said of his acting namesake: "He's the perfect fit for the role, and not just because we coincidentally share the same surname."

Ian Rankin has written 24 Inspector Rebus novels to date, so there is no shortage of source material for the new series to mine. The first Inspector Rebus novel was published in 1987 and the most recent arrived last year.

Are you stoked for the screen return of Inspector Rebus?