Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to turn fantasy novel series Rivers of London into a TV series

The Shaun of the Dead duo's production company, Stolen Picture, has acquired the rights to the novels, which centre around a London police constable who becomes a Wizard's apprentice and joins a specialised branch of the force that deals with supernatural crime.

Pegg and Frost will executive produce the series alongside Aaronovitch, according to Deadline, and they intend the first season – which is expected to consist of eight to ten episodes – to correspond to the first book in the series. They have not yet put together a wider team of writers or pitched it to broadcasters or on-demand services.

“Everyone wants to potentially find the next Game of Thrones and the chance to turn Rivers of London into an eight-hour movie and hopefully find someone who will financially back that is a real draw,” Frost said.

Pegg clarified that they will be working closely with the author, whose books have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. "I understand what it’s like for someone to use you as a springboard rather than use your vision," he said, "and it’s good to have writers involved as producers because they get it and we want to make a faithful adaptation that is a true reflection of the book.”