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FX to remake The Bridge

America is set to remake Danish drama The Bridge, now set between Texas and Mexico.

2013-02-13_1249America is set to remake Danish drama The Bridge, which has previously played on SBS.

The series, which began with a dead body found laying across the border between Sweden and Denmark, will be adapted into a version set on the border between El Paso (US) and Juarez (Mexico) (pictured).

Deadline reports the new version will centre on U.S. Detective Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger), and Mexican Marco Ruiz (Demián Bichir) who must work together to hunt down a serial killer operating on both sides of the border.

“For years networks having been trying develop a drama series set on the U.S.-Mexican border without any success,” said FX president John Landgraf. ”I’m thrilled to say that Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid have become the first to crack that creative code and they have done so magnificently. There have been great films set in that world — No Country for Old Men and Lone Star come to mind — but never a great TV series. This one is special. The setting, the writing, the direction, and the way it is brought to life by Demián Bichir, Diane Kruger and the rest of the cast makes for truly riveting drama.”

The Bridge will co-star Ted Levine, Annabeth Gish, and Thomas M. Wright. Matthew Lillard guest starred in a pilot directed by Gerardo Naranjo (Miss Bala).

Homeland writer/executive producer and Cold Case creator Stiehm and novelist and TV writer-producer Reid wrote the adaptation.

The series marks Shine’s first major U.S. scripted series since the 2008 acquisition of Reveille.

SBS ONE will replay The Bridge original sometime this year.

16 Responses

  1. I think there were a lot of subtleties in the original Bridge that you probably don’t see unless you are Scandinavian. Since the Swedish and Danish cultures are quite similar, you can have fun pointing out the differences. To me, that makes this remake a strange choice – the US Canada border would be more interesting – because the cultures seem to have a similar relationship.
    The US/Canada border is known to pass thru the middle of towns, even houses – so you wouldn’t even need a bridge.

  2. @Dr_Rudi – I get the point you’re making, but I’m saying that in the context of this show, you need to remember what was so unusual about the body on the bridge; and how the Danish police had investigated the original crime.
    Again, I’m trying to say this without spoilers, so I’ll leave you to re-visit the plot yourself.

    That’s why I reckon it would have so much more impact in this situation, where the differences between the two countries are so vast, rather than in Sweden & Denmark (or in the UK and France, in the other remake).

  3. k thx squirrel…looks like in neither case did the aggrieved parties prevail.seems that you can pretty much steal any idea in tv,and as long as there are some differences,you’ll get away with it.

  4. thx david..I didn’t ask the question because I figured there was a ripoff here,but just as a generic question.I’ll google Big Brother,Glass House to see how that turned out,and maybe get a better understanding about copyrights in regards to tv.

  5. The music industry is pretty strict when it comes to plagiarism.If someone writes a song that is similar to another(lyrics,chord arrangements etc),and without attribution,that writer is likely to be sued,and successfully,by the original artist for royalties.How does it work with tv screenplays?Could anyone use the idea of a murder on a bridge between two jurisdictions,change it up a bit,and not be beholden to the original Danish Bridge?

    1. There’s no suggestion of ripping off here. I’m sure the format rights have been sold. To answer your question, you can’t copyright an idea, only the execution. Big Brother was suing The Glasshouse in the US for example…

  6. @Hardcore – I’m sorry, you’re just not getting my point, which is humorous political satire on US-Mexican relations, particularly on the matter of border security.

  7. @Dr_Rudi –
    I’m not going to go into specific details about the plot (in case I give away any spoilers) but if you’ve seen the original I’m surprised you still think that that plot strand wouldn’t make much of a show.
    In fact, having given it a bit of additional thought, and in light of your comments, I’d go so far as to say, in the context of that part of the story, the US-Mexico border would actually work even better than the original Sweden-Denmark border.

    I think you’ll also find that there has been quite a lot of outrage in the US about the horrific and ongoing murders of women in Ciudad Juárez.

  8. @Hardcore – so you don’t recognise searing political satire when you read it.

    The (Scandinavian) original television program is of course fantastic.

    But seriously, American cops couldn’t give a $@#* about a dead Mexican on the border. Nor could most Americans. That wouldn’t make much of a show.

  9. Im not usually a fan of remakes, but i do hope that this works out for the best.

    Also glad that SBS1 will be repeating the original season. Hopefully will be sooner than later

  10. Of course they are.

    “I’m thrilled to say that Meredith Stiehm and Elwood Reid have become the first to crack that creative code…”
    I assume that here “cracking the creative code” means using someone else’s idea.

  11. Now this is just getting silly. The UK is also making its own version for Sky Atlantic and will be between the UK and France courtesy of the tunnel. Who will get there first.

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