Ian Rankin predicts fans will be ‘shocked’ by young Rebus in TV reboot – but will also be ‘absolutely gripped’

Richard Rankin will play maverick detective

Ian Rankin believes fans of his world-famous detective John Rebus will get a “shock” when they see his new screen incarnation because he looks so young but will be "absolutely gripped" by his performance.

The best-selling author has predicted that viewers will not be able to take their eyes off Richard Rankin when he makes his debut due to his “terrific” portrayal.

The writer says the 41-year-old actor has thrown himself into the role and “completely inhabits the character" in the six-part series, which launches on 17 May.Rankin said the latest adaptation of Rebus would show what masculinity does to men, how it can twist them and how it can cause them to do “terrible things.”

The author has worked with playwright and screenwriter Gregory Burke on the TV series since 2017. Outlander star Richard Rankin worked with Burke previously on his best-known play, Black Watch.

The author said: “I think long-term fans will get a shock because they're seeing young Rebus.

"Richard Rankin is not in his seventies, sixties or fifties, so they're getting the quite macho Rebus from the early books, but set in contemporary times. We get the strength of Rebus as quite a gung-ho cop, but set against contemporary issues, contemporary politics and contemporary problems that people have.

Sir Ian Rankin has been working with screenwriter Gregory Burke on the new Rebus TV series since 2017. Picture: Neil Hanna

"At its best, a crime novel is a political novel insofar as it deals with the reasons why crime happens. A lot of the time it’s to do with people being stuck in a rut.

“They see no way out that is legal, and their life crumbles around them. So they turn to drugs and drink and that leads them to some very dark places. I think Gregory was interested in tackling some of those issues, and it works really well.”

Speaking about Rankin’s performance as Rebus, who first appeared in print in 1987, the author said: “You can't take your eyes off him. He's incredibly charismatic on screen. You're absolutely gripped by him.

"He's a lovely guy when you meet him, but he completely inhabits the character. Rebus is attractive to women and attractive to men – you get all of that with Richard. Men are going to love watching him and women are going to love watching him. He just throws himself into it.”

Sir Ian Rankin and screenwriter Gregory Burke have been working together on the new TV adaptation of the John Rebus novels. Picture: Robert Perry

The new TV adaptation of Rebus, which sees him introduced to new colleague Siobhan Clarke, who played by Lucie Shorthouse, in the first episode, Ger Cafferty and Darryl Christie, two familiar villains from the novels,

However the series also has a strong focus on the maverick detective’s fraught relationship with his brother Michael, who only appeared in the early books.

Played by another former Black Watch star Brian Ferguson, the former soldier turns to criminality to try to resolve crippling financial problems, but becomes embroiled in brutal gangland warfare.

Rankin said: “There have been characters and situations in the books where I felt that in retrospect I didn't do enough with them.

Lucie Shorthouse and Richard Rankin play Siobhan Clarke and John Rebus in the new BBC Scotland series Rebus. Picture: Mark Mainz

“Rebus’ brother was a really interesting character in the books. Eventually, I just let him go and he never returned.

“During our various conversations early on, Greg Burke zoned in on that almost blood brothers thing or Jekyll & Hyde thing where you can have two brothers who are close to each other, who love each other, but potentially can destroy each other.”