Star Michael C Hall will reprise his titular role for a new 10-episode limited series, network Showtime has confirmed.

The 49-year-old plays a forensic blood spatter analyst, who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer.

The part won him a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as five Emmy nominations.

Showtime Entertainment president Gary Levine told the Hollywood Reporter they did not take the decision to bring the programme back lightly.

"We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series," he said.

"Well, I am happy to report that [executive producer] Clyde Phillips and Michael C Hall have found it, and we can't wait to shoot it and show it to the world."

In 2013, the producers announced that season eight would be the Miami-set show's last. But now the new episodes will pick up where it left off - with Dexter going into a self-imposed exile.

The finale caused much debate amongst fans, and even the returning Phillips told E online at the time that he would have pitched an alternate ending had he not already left the series.

Reacting to the news on Wednesday evening, One Tree Hill and Incredibles 2 actress Sophia Bush tweeted: "I literally just got the chills and my hands are sweating and oh my god is this real!?!?!"

Fans online seem to be similarly excited about Dexter's return - with apparently unfinished business - and the chance to binge on some more potentially murderous action.

The original series, based on Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, started in 2006.

It is now set to go back into production in 2021, with the aim of being on screen again by the end of that year.

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