Filming has begun on the second series of Rebus, the award-winning BBC crime drama based on the books by Ian Rankin.
In the new series, written by Gregory Burke, Richard Rankin will reprise his role as Detective John Rebus.
Six hour-long episodes will be filmed in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow over the coming months.
The first series, from Eleventh Hour Films, launched in 2024 and won widespread praise from critics and audiences.
The new series was commissioned by the BBC as part of the broadcaster’s strategy to bring “more high impact scripted content from Scotland” and will be screened on BBC iPlayer, BBC Scotland and BBC One in 2027
Alongside Richard Rankin, the cast will feature series one regulars including Brian Ferguson as Michael Rebus, Lucie Shorthouse as DC Siobhan Clarke and Stuart Bowman as crime lord “Big Ger” Cafferty.
Other returning cast members include Amy Manson as Rhona Moncrieffe, Neshla Caplan as Chrissie Rebus and Thoren Ferguson as Malcolm Fox.
New names include Stephen McCole (Shetland, Vigil), Lorne MacFadyen (Starstruck, Operation Mincemeat), Alexis Rodney (Death In Paradise, Mix Tape), and John Michie (Taggart, Karen Pirie), who previously played the lead role in Sir Ian Rankin’s stage play Rebus: A Game Called Malice.
Richard Rankin said he was delighted to be back, with “many, many layers of the character left to explore”.
He said: “There’s a real sense of excitement about stepping back into Rebus’ world. We were incredibly fortunate with the team we assembled for the first series, and it’s a genuine pleasure to be returning alongside so many familiar faces, both in front of and behind the camera.
“At the same time, we’re welcoming some fantastic new talent this season, and it’s already exciting to see the energy, ideas and depth they’re bringing to the story.”
He added: “What I’ve always loved about Rebus is that he’s such a richly complex character. He’s fiercely driven, deeply flawed, endlessly determined and often at war with himself.
“Returning to him, there’s still so much to discover, with many, many layers of the character left to explore.
“This next chapter promises to challenge him in ways that I’m really looking forward to bringing to life.”
The first six-part series launched in full on BBC iPlayer in 2024 with the debut episode attracting 6.3 million viewers across all platforms. It scooped three RTS Scotland awards for Best Drama, Writer and Director last year.
The second series will continue to “explore Rebus’s complex world” as he navigates Scottish crime and personal conflict and “the links between violent criminals and the professional bourgeois world of law and finance, where police sometimes fear to tread”.
Sir Ian Rankin, who is an executive producer on the show, said when the second season was announced: “Season one of Rebus ended on a cliffhanger.
“Only screenwriter Gregory Burke knows what happens next. So I’m hugely excited that season two will soon be with us.
“Rebus is back – mean, moody and as magnificent as ever.”
Rebus is part of a growing list of BBC dramas from Scotland, including Counsels, Shetland, Vigil, Granite Harbour, Half Man, Mint, Sutherland, The Young Team and Grams.
