Hit BBC TV series Bodyguard is being lined up for a second season with Scottish actor Richard Madden set to return in the main role.
The Game of Thrones star portrayed PS David Budd in the 2018 series - created by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio - opposite Keeley Hawes.
The series peaked that year with more than 11 million tuning in to see the gripping finale and a further six million watching on iPlayer.
And it now looks set to return after Madden wrapped filming of Marvel instalment Eternals and Mercurio polished off series 7 of Line of Duty alongside Martin Compston.
A TV insider said: "The drama is the most eagerly-anticipated in the world of TV and all the stars are finally aligning.
"Mercurio has always been too preoccupied with Line of Duty to apply himself to Bodyguard II, and after the show’s success, Madden was snapped up by Hollywood.
“Now with both men available, the creative process has kicked off and the BBC are thrilled it could materialise within the next two years," they added to The Sun.
Bodyguard season one follows the relationship of David Budd with Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) after he is appointed as her dedicated Principal Protection Officer.
Writer Jed has always remained tight-lipped about a follow-up to the hit series.
Asked recently if he was working on a second season, he said: "I can exclusively reveal that there are no plans for me to answer that question."
But Jed added: "I learned a lot from the success of Bodyguard. It was heartening to see how an audience would come to something that is fresh and original.
"Bodyguard was just an original concept and people hit the ground running with it. I would love to do something in the next couple of years," he added, according to The Sun.
