The Returned gets US VoD debut

Music Box Films has secured a VoD release for French supernatural thriller The Returned ahead of its debut on US TV later this year.

The Returned - Les Revenants

The company has picked up US VoD distribution rights to the eight-part Canal+ series (aka Rebound) from Zodiak Rights and has secured a deal with an unnamed VoD platform for a January 1, 2014 debut.

The drama is also said by Music Box to have been picked up by a US television channel, which will premiere the series in October. An English-language version is currently in development, while ABC in US is lining up a similarly-themed show called Resurrection.

Set in an Alpine village where residents’ deceased loved ones start returning from the grave, The Returned was created by Fabrice Gobert and produced by Caroline Benjo, Jimmy Desmarais and Carole Scotta of Haut et Court. It’s based on the feature film Les Revenants by Robin Campillo.

A second 8×60′ season will start filming in early 2014 for broadcast later in the year and Channel 4 in the UK has already agreed a deal with Zodiak Rights to continue airing the show.

“The Returned epitomizes the very best of the crop of outstanding international television productions finding its way onto US screens,” said Music Box president William Schopf.

In addition to the 13-episode Wallander, Music Box also has US distribution rights to European miniseries Generation War, which will get a theatrical, VoD and DVD release in the US in early 2014.