The Bridge crosses over to FIC

Fox International Channels (FIC) has acquired first-window pay TV rights to FX’s upcoming remake of Scandinavian drama The Bridge.

The Bridge (13×60′) will premiere on FIC’s 200 pay TV entertainment networks in 120 countries across Latin America, Asia and EMEA following its launch on FX in July 2013.

In the US, FX coproduces the series – set on the US-Mexico border – with sister company Shine America.

The drama centres on two detectives, one from the US and one from Mexico, who must work together to hunt down a serial killer operating on both sides of the border.

It is based on Broen, produced by Shine Group’s Filmlance and Denmark’s Nimbus Film Production, which was aired by Sweden’s SVT and Denmark’s DR.

Sharon Tal Yguado, exec VP of global scripted programming and original development at FIC, said: “It is rare to come across a project that bucks convention by marrying provocative themes with grounded storytelling and characters.”

FIC picked up rights from distributor Shine International, which is also part of the News Corp stable. Siblings Kudos Film & TV and Shine France Films are working on a bilingual English-French version for Sky in the UK and Canal+ in France, which will be known as The Tunnel.

The Bridge is the latest in a series of global acquisitions for FIC, which last month picked up the US version of British drama Low Winter Sun, due to air on AMC stateside.