Warner Bros. TV and Fox are officially moving ahead with Lucifer, a small screen adaptation of the DC Comics Vertigo imprint which featured characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg.

The comic book is being adapted by Californication creator Tom Kapinos, and it was recently revealed that Jerry Bruckheimer Television oversee the project, while Len Wiseman (Underworld, Total Recall) will direct the pilot episode and executive produce alongside Kapinos, Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman.

It has been announced today though that Welsh actor Tom Ellis has been cast as Lucifer. The comic book version of the character was modelled after David Bowie; can you see any sort of resemblance? Oh, and for those of you rushing to check your copies of Ron Howard’s Rush to see where the actor appeared in that Formula 1 movie, Ellis actually starred in a US TV series with that name! He also co-starred in Miranda.

The TV series centres on Lucifer who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals. That’s quite a bit different to the original plan for the DC Comics adaptation!

When it was first announced, it had no police procedural elements and instead featured Lucifer coming to LA to open an exclusive piano bar called Lux. It should be very interesting to see how this one develops.