Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: The Bridge

  1. Stan Acquires Malaysian Adaptation of the Bridge

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    Double Vision, the leading Malaysian production arm of the Vision New Media group, is delighted to announce that both seasons (20 x 60’) of its localised version of Hans Rosenfeldt’s hit Scandi series The Bridge have sold to Stan, Australia’s leading local streaming service.

    The agreement, brokered by Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia and New Zealand from Banijay Rights, represents the first time that Stan has acquired a Malaysian drama series.

    The Asian version of The Bridge, which premiered on Stan last week, was initially commissioned by Viu and HBO Asia in 2018, after Double Vision introduced Viu to the format. It broadcast to great acclaim across 23 territories in the combined Viu/HBO Asia regional footprint and was also shown on Viu in South Africa. The title has garnered more than 20 regional awards and nominations across its two seasons, making it the most awarded drama in Malaysian history.

    In series one, faithfully following the original, a dead body is found on the border between Malaysia and Singapore, necessitating an investigator from each country to work together to solve the crime. Season two, meanwhile, is an entirely original storyline and, uniquely amongst all the iterations of the format, involves a third country – in this case Indonesia.

    Min Lim, CEO of Vision New Media, head of production at Double Vision and the series’ showrunner says: “I loved the original of The Bridge when I first saw it and knew that the story would work brilliantly on the Malaysia/Singapore border. It was one of the most ambitious Malaysian television projects at the time and I was both thrilled and incredibly appreciative when Viu decided to take a chance on it and subsequently committed to securing the rights so that we could adapt it for them.

    “Malaysian drama has not traditionally travelled well outside of the country, let alone outside of Asia, and this is something that I am incredibly passionate about changing. So, to have our version of The Bridge premiere on Stan in Australia, is not only testament to the incredible skills and talent base that we have in the country but also to the fact that well-made shows of any language can travel if given the opportunity. This has made me even more committed to ensuring that more Malaysian productions find great homes overseas.”

    Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia and New Zealand, Banijay Rights, added: “One of the most prominent scripted formats of the last decade, The Bridge continues to move and thrill viewers worldwide. We’re delighted the fantastic Malaysian version has found an Australian home in Stan, which will bring a whole new audience to this impeccably crafted series.”

    Double Vision has a growing reputation for producing highly regarded local adaptations of successful scripted formats. It also produced a hit version of Liar for Astro which, amongst its other nominations, is in the running for Best Adaptation of an Existing Format at the upcoming Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore this week.

  2. Banijay’s The Bridge Crosses Over to South Africa with KykNET

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay today announces a new adaptation of cinematic and authentic reality competition format, The Bridge, for KykNET in South Africa. A deal with Banijay Rights will see the series  produced locally by Red Pepper Pictures and marks the 11th adaptation of the hit show.

    The Bridge sees strangers join forces in a remote wild location to complete an epic challenge that will test their physical strength and mental ability. Contestants must work together to build an enormous bridge to an island, in order to get their hands on the cash prize at stake. However, just one contestant will walk away with the prize, and must decide whether to share it or walk away with everything…

    The Bridge is an original Banijay format, created by Zeppelin (Banijay Iberia), and has launched in Australia, Brazil and the UK, where it returned with a second season in 2022 and was number one in the slot for younger viewers, increasing the usual slot norm significantly. The new South African iteration follows the four new adaptations of The Bridge which aired on Prime Video in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland last year, with a version for HBO Max in Hungary launching this year

    The agreement was brokered by Robin Pollok, VP Sales Africa, Middle East, Greece & Israel, Banijay Rights, who said: “The Bridge delivers a high-stakes reality competition packed with gripping challenges, in a breathtaking location that has proven to be popular with audiences around the world. We are excited to watch this incredible show travel to new horizons and license a format with KykNet for the first time. We are certain that viewers in South Africa will be equally captivated when it makes its debut.”

  3. Hit Nordic Drama The Bridge to be Adapted by Endemol Shine India and Saif Ali Khan’s Black Knight Films

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    Endemol Shine India, a Banijay company, and Black Knight Films, have announced they will be adapting the hit Danish/Swedish scripted series, Bron/Broen (The Bridge).  The all-new original Hindi edition will star Saif Ali Khan, who will also jointly produce the project under the Black Knight Films banner.

    The concept of The Bridge has universal appeal, as it can be understood and appreciated by a global audience that is used to living in a world of borders. The show opens with a dead body discovered on a border that is shared by two countries – half the body lies in one and the other half in another. This discovery leads to a joint investigation by the police forces of the two regions, forcing detectives from both sides to work together to solve the crime.

    A gem from the Banijay library, the unique global premise of The Bridge has led to its adaptation in multiple languages, set across the international borders of US/Mexico, UK/France, Germany/Austria, Singapore/Malaysia and Russia/Estonia.

    “The Bridge’s script is powerful, as it speaks a language recognised and enjoyed by audiences sitting anywhere in the world. It is a global story that can be made distinctively local,  using the basic premise of the series and we look forward to recreating the magic of this show to captivate the Indian audience.” said Rishi Negi, CEO Endemol Shine India.

    “As an actor and producer, this is the one-of-a-kind opportunity that one waits for. It is a story that has been adapted the world over and loved by audiences, irrespective of their geographies, so yes, my team and I at Black Knight Films – Kunjal Punamiya (CEO/co-producer) and Pavan Kriplani (Creative Producer/co- producer) are super excited to be associated with this project and getting it rolling,” said Saif Ali Khan, actor and producer (Black Knight Films) of the series.

    The Bridge is a present-day crime thriller exploring the tensions between two neighbouring countries, which has now been adapted in 7 territories. Originally created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt as a joint production of Sweden’s Filmlance International, part of Banijay, and Denmark’s Nimbus Film, The Bridge (Bron/Broen) was produced in co-production with Sveriges Television, DR, ZDF German Television network, ZDF Enterprises Gmbh, Film i Skåne, NRK, Copenhagen Film Fund, Lumiere Group, Stiftelsen Ystad Österlen Filmfond, with Norvision, and in co-operation with Malmö Stad. The original has aired in more than 188 countries.

  4. Banijay’s The Bridge Crosses Four Nordic Countries with Prime Video

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    Banijay today announces four new adaptations of reality hit The Bridge, with Meter Television, Mastiff Norway, Metronome and Endemol Shine Finland producing local versions for Prime Video in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Premiering on 4th November, The Bridge is the first Nordic reality show for the streaming service and brings the total adaptations of the Banijay format to ten countries.

    The Bridge is a grand and iconic reality competition where strangers meet in a harsh-but beautiful location; using a few basic tools and their bare hands must build a 220-metre bridge to an island holding a life-changing cash prize. Once there, a vote is held to decide who gets the prize, with the chosen participant deciding whether to share it. Each local Nordic version will consist of six, 40-minute episodes, with the first three launching on the premiere date, and the remaining three airing weekly.

    Karoline Spodsberg, Chief Operating Officer, Banijay Nordic says: “We know local content is extremely important to Prime Video and this collaboration has enabled production of four unique adaptations of iconic Banijay format The Bridge. Strategically this mirrors our own strong belief in a bespoke country-by-country approach to creating premium content for the four Nordic countries. Working with Prime Video has been a very positive experience for our labels Meter, Metronome, Mastiff Norway, and Endemol Shine Finland, all collaborating with dedication and passion to deliver an incredible series.”

    Madelene Hansson, CEO of Meter Television says: “We’re extremely proud to have led the pan-Nordic collaboration and production of The Bridge. Set in the beautiful, but austere, Nordic wilderness, this premium series is packed with emotional reality moments as the contestants do everything possible to meet the challenge. This collaboration with Prime Video is not only the first non-scripted reality commission for the streaming service in the Nordics, but also a first for us here at Meter, and we loved sharing our expertise with colleagues in other countries as well, of course, Prime Video.”

    “After the success of our global Originals like The Boys and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we’re delighted to be bringing our Nordic customers our first local Original unscripted series, The Bridge,” said Martin Backlund, head of content, UK & Nordics, Prime Video. “We know our customers in the Nordics love reality series, so that’s why we’re bringing four local versions of The Bridge to viewers, showing our commitment to invest in Prime Video content to customers across the Nordics.”

    The Bridge is an original Banijay format, created in Spain by Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia. The format has been adapted in ten markets and recently experienced a resurgence, with a first-series adaption in the UK in 2021, and subsequent second season this year, as well as a debut in Australia.

  5. Filmlance has Fallen for Sofia Helin and Hedda Stiernstedt with C More

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    Banijay, the world’s largest independent home to the best creative talent and IP, today announces production has begun on Fallen, the latest crime drama from award-winning Swedish label Filmlance, distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

     

    Created and written by Camilla Ahlgren, the screenwriter behind iconic series The Bridge, along with Martin Asphaug and Alex Haridi, this new crime drama stars Sofia Helin (The Bridge, Lust, Emmy winner Atlantic Crossing) and Hedda Stiernstedt (The Restaurant, Wallander, Beforeigners).

     

    In Fallen, Sofia Helin plays Iris Broman, the new head of the Kalla Fall, a group solving cold cases in Malmö. Due to a tragedy, she moves from Stockholm down to the small southern town of Ystad, where she lives in her half-sister Kattis’ (Hedda Stiernstedt) house by the sea. When Iris arrives in Skåne, a cold case becomes topical again and everything is turned upside down, intertwining the lives of several people. What was the truth then, what is the truth now – and what are the consequences?

     

    Fallen is a co-production between C More, TV4, Film i Skåne and Filmlance, in collaboration with ZDF. It is produced by Filmlance’s Anna Wallmark, and Lisa Dahlberg serves as executive producer at C More and TV4. The lead director is Linnéa Roxeheim (Portkod), working with Olof Spaak.  Filming will take place in Malmö and Ystad and the surrounding area and the series will launch on C More in 2023.

     

    Sofia Helin says: “I always want to work with people who are talented and interesting, as with screenwriter Camilla Ahlgren. It’s brilliant to be reunited in this project, to deepen the creative process and challenge one another in new ways. I discovered Linnéa Roxeheim’s films a few years ago and working with a director with a talent for fine-tuning human relationships will take this drama and the genre to the next level. I’m looking forward to exploring this new character, the question of guilt and how a person moves on after a trauma.”

     

    Camilla Ahlgren, creator and screenwriter for Filmlance says: “It is incredibly exciting to be working once again with Sofia Helin, and with Hedda Stiernstedt also on board, this is set to be a high-quality, emotionally-tense show fans will love. Linnéa Roxeheim’s unique directing style is perfect for this deep, character-driven story, exploring if it is possible to move forward in life without answers and how to stop the internal craving for retribution.”

     

    Led by Hanne Palmquist, of Banijay’s Filmlance, the company is behind critically-acclaimed drama and films for the local and international market. The company is currently in production with Ronja the Robbers Daughterwith Viaplay, a second series of Top Dog for CMore/ TV4, as well as long-running hit Beck (CMore/ TV4), and is behind international successes JJ+E (Netflix), and Caliphate (SVT/Netflix).

     

    Filmlance is part of Banijay’s unrivalled network of over 50 scripted labels, led by Lars Blomgren, working across UK, US, Mexico, Australia, Nordics, Germany, Benelux, France, Iberia, Israel, Italy, Poland, and India.

     

    Recent scripted news from Banijay includes a partnership with award-winning French producer, Alain Goldman via the production entities, Pitchipoï Productions and Montmartre Films (previously Légende Films). And joining Banijay Italy is Italian premium scripted producer, Grøenlandia Group.