‘Outlander’ star has been cast as the new Inspector Rebus
The new Rebus reboot has announced who’s taking on the lead role in the series!
It was first revealed last autumn that author Sir Ian Rankin was teaming up with Eleventh Hour Films to bring a new incarnation of his iconic detective character to our TV screens.
Set in Edinburgh and featuring Detective Inspector John Rebus, Rankin has written 24 of the internationally bestselling Rebus novels.
Even if you don’t recognise the name, you’ll be familiar with the work of Eleventh Hour Films – they’re the production company behind crime dramas Foyle’s War, Safe House, Collision, and Magpie Murders!
It’s now been confirmed that Scottish actor Richard Rankin has been cast as Detective Inspector John Rebus in Viaplay’s new series.
The 40-year-old star is best known for his role in Outlander.
He’s played Roger Wakefield MacKenzie since the second season of Starz’s historical romance drama.
Rankin has also appeared in The Crimson Field, Midsomer Murders, The Last Kingdom, and Silent Witness.
It’s worth pointing out that, despite their shared surname, Richard Rankin and author Sir Ian Rankin are not related!
The character of John Rebus was previously played by John Hannah (Sliding Doors) and later Ken Stott (The Hobbit) on ITV between 2000 and 2007.
Richard Rankin recently wrapped filming on the seventh season of Outlander.
He commented this week: “I’m thrilled to be taking on the role of Rebus. I’m a big fan of the series and Sir Ian Rankin.
“I feel very lucky to be given the honour of bringing such an iconic Scottish character back to TV screens and will give all I have to do it justice.”
Deadline reports that Ian Rankin has given Richard Rankin the approval to “bring the character to life,” saying: “He’s the perfect fit for the role, and not just because we coincidentally share the same surname.”
Made for Nordic streaming service Viaplay, the upcoming “major reimagining” of Rebus has been written by screenwriter Gregory Burke (’71), with Sir Ian Rankin as executive producer.
The new Rebus is set to begin filming in Scotland in April, with further cast announcements expected soon.
We’re told by Variety that the series will find the 40-year-old police detective John Rebus “at a psychological crossroads following an altercation with an infamous Edinburgh gangster.”
The synopsis continues: “At odds with a job increasingly driven by corporate technocrats, involved in a toxic affair he knows he needs to end, and all but supplanted in his daughter’s life by his ex-wife’s wealthy new husband, Rebus begins to wonder if he still has a role to play — either as a family man or a police officer — in a world of divisive politics and national discord.”
Rebus will premiere exclusively on Viaplay around the world in 2024.
Sir Ian Rankin’s latest Rebus book, A Heart Full of Headstones, was published last year.
The original Rebus series is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.