Could A Serial Movie Happen?

Who'd have thunk that a podcast would become the year's most talked about murder mystery? Sorry True Detective but Serial has swooped in to become an unprecedented aural phenomenon, rivalling anything else in its crowded genre.

In case you're not aware, it's a weekly podcast where reporter Sarah Koenig investigates the real-life case of Hae Min Lee, a high school student murdered in 1999, and whether her ex-boyfriend, currently serving a life sentence for her murder, really did do it.

It's captured the attention of the world and by its ninth episode, which premiered today, has become the quickest podcast ever to reach 5 million downloads There are fan theories, parodies, Miley Cyrus mash ups and controversy, making it essentially inescapable to anyone with an internet connection.

So, and you could probably have seen this coming, Hollywood has come calling. The show has already had a number of big name director fans:

And obviously the next step is on everyone's mind. While the podcast itself finishes in December, with another series planned for next year, talk is brewing about how Serial, as a brand, can be transported to a more visual medium. 

Serial is an offshoot of the incredibly popular docu-podcast This American Life and producer Ira Glass' agent has been approached by various producers hoping to snap up the rights. But operations manager Emily Condon has stated that they are "not engaging in those kinds of discussions" until the series is over.

It's not a complete impossibility though. This American Life was turned into a TV series in the US and one particular became the subject of a movie, 2012's Sleepwalk With Me. 

For now, if you're not already obsessed, then check out the story so far for free at serialpodcast.org

[via The Hollywood Reporter]