BRIDGE STRETCHING DOWN UNDER
Australian streamer Stan has acquired rights to both seasons, totaling 20 episodes, of the Malaysian adaptation of Scandinavian crime series “The Bridge.” 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” was initially commissioned by Viu and HBO Asia in 2018, after Double Vision, part of the Vision New Media group, introduced Viu to the format. It broadcast to across 23 territories in the combined footprints of Viu and HBO Asia 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.
Season one faithfully follows the original show, and sees a dead body found on the border between Malaysia and Singapore, necessitating an investigator from each country to work together to solve the crime. Season two, is an entirely original storyline and, uniquely involves a third country – Indonesia.
MO’ MONEY
Singer, lawyer and serial investor David Yong has come on board as an financier of the next two feature films by Singapore’s only consistently successful director Jack Neo. He is to part finance “Money No Enough 3,” which will debut in time for the Lunar New Year (aka Chinese New Year) holidays in February 2024, and “I Not Stupid 3,” which will be released later in the year.
Yong previously invested in Neo’s “Ah Girls Go Army.” The investments were channeled through his Evergreen Group company, but their size and nature were not disclosed.
Evergreen is a family-controlled former timber trading company that has diversified into finance, real estate and entertainment. Yong has invested to empower small and medium-sized entertainment companies in Korea. Yong has also worked as a performer with artists including Mamamoo, 4Men, and Kid Milli. His most recent music venture includes the release of a single “Dripping,” with DJ Soda.
SECOND WHITE NIGHT
ZDF Studios has signed on as the global distributor of Canadian family saga drama,“White Night” (aka “Nuit Blanche”)(8 x 60 mins), as it returns for a second season.
The new season, produced by Pixcom, is released onAmazon’s Prime Video Canada and Séries Plus, a specialty channel owned by Canadian media company Corus Entertainment, began filming this summer in Quebec and is scheduled to premiere in the spring/summer of 2024.
The first season of“White Night”(12 x 60 mins) aired on ICI Radio-Canada Télé and is also distributed by ZDF Studios, which sold it to Molotov France, VOD Poland and Pink TV. At launch, season twowill be exclusively available on Prime Video in Canada and later on Séries Plus.
Starring actress France Castel,who reprises her role as Loulou Hébert, the murder mystery centers on the Hébert family. The story continues in present time as the murder of the family’s matriarch is investigated but also takes fans back to the Héberts’ past, the 1980s, revealing even more intrigue, paranoia and passion.
“White Night” is executive produced by Nicola Merola and Charles Lafortune and produced by Nathalie Cecyre. The creator and writer for the show is Julie Hivon (“alertes”).
