Image caption Broadchurch's whodunit storyline gripped the UK earlier his year

Hit ITV drama Broadchurch is to be remade for a US audience, Fox has announced.

The drama about the mysterious death of an 11-year-old boy was a ratings hit for ITV earlier in the year and won critical acclaim.

Filming on the US version will begin in January to be aired next year, while the UK version will premiere on BBC America in the US on 7 August.

Chris Chibnall, who created the drama will write the first episode.

Chibnall will act as executive producer on the American show but there has been no announcement about casting.

Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said it was "lucky to be able to bring a new version of this mystery to the US audience".

"Broadchurch is the kind of storytelling that grabs your attention and keeps you riveted with every minute - which is exactly what we look for in an event series," he said.

Olivia Colman starred as detective sergeant Ellie Miller alongside David Tennant as detective inspector Alec Hardy, investigating the death of Danny Latimer in a fictional seaside town.

The climax of the investigation, which was screened in April, was watched by a peak audience of 8.9 million viewers.

ITV immediately announced it had been commissioned for a second series.