Viu Slates Singapore/Malay Version of The Bridge

VOD service Viu is preparing a version of The Bridge that will be set along the border of Singapore and Malaysia following a deal with Endemol Shine Group.

The ten-part adaptation is set to premiere on Viu in Malaysia and Singapore this year. Filming is expected to begin in July. The Bridge originated as Bron/Broen, a Swedish-Danish collaboration from Filmlance International and Nimbus Film, which has aired in more than 188 territories, with remakes in the U.K. and France, the U.S. and Mexico, Germany and Austria, and Russia and Estonia.

Kingsley Warner, country manager for Viu Malaysia, said, “Viu previously achieved success in adapting popular entertainment to emerging markets when it brought the CBS Hollywood Squares format to audiences in India, releasing Tollywood Squares. Today’s news is in that same vein and we believe that working with Endemol Shine to tell this gripping story, while also making it uniquely our own, will captivate our viewers.”

Cathy Payne, chief executive of Endemol Shine International, noted, “Partnering with Viu is a natural fit for us, given it’s the leading OTT in Southeast Asia. We expect the premium format of The Bridge to resonate strongly in this region.”

Lars Blomgren, managing director of Filmlance and creator of The Bridge, said, “The Bridge is a compelling and thrilling scripted format that has a truly global appeal and significance, we are excited to see how another saga unfolds in this first adaptation for Asia.”

Viu is available in 15 markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.