Serial, the NPR-produced podcast which debuted last year – quickly becoming the most downloaded podcast in history – is set to make a leap from the smartphone screen to the television one, with writer-director-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on board to steer the transition.

The duo, best known for their work on The LEGO Movie and the 21 Jump Street franchise, will work with Fox 21, the television studio that brought Homeland to our screens, will focus on the experience of making the hugely popular podcast rather than the case – that of the murder conviction of Adnan Syed.

Sarah Koenig, a long-time reporter for the NPR programme This American Life, and the rest of Serial’s producers (Julie Snyder, Alissa Shipp, and Ira Glass) were reportedly very intrigued by the pitch made by the directors, who have received a reputation in Hollywood for turning unlikely source materials into hits.

Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller [Scott Roth/Invision/AP]

Bert Salke, Fox 21 Television Studios president, described Serial as a formidable piece of work.

"What you have here is a 'once every ten years creative storytelling phenom' with a 'once in ten years take' with a 'once in twenty-five years creative team,'” he said.

"From the very first week of Serial’s release last fall, everyone at Fox 21 TVS was obsessed with the podcast. One year later, thanks to the incredible passion of Chris and Phil, who flew to New York and shared their vision with Sarah, Julie, Alissa and Ira for what the series could be, we’re moving forward on this exciting project," he added.

The podcast’s producers will act as executive producers on the television project.

Last week it was reported that one of the forthcoming seasons of Serial, due to debut later in the autumn and in the spring of 2016, will likely cover the case of Sgt Bow Bergdahl, an American soldier who went MIA in Afghanistan and was held prisoner by a splinter group of the Taliban.

Last month, Sean Moncrieff spoke to Rabia Chaudry, Adnan Syed's friend since childhood and the lawyer who brought the case to Sarah Koenig's attention on the progression of his case since Serial ended. You can listen back to that interview below: