London – FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has acquired rights to adapt the successful French supernatural thriller series Les Revenants for the English language. The English adaptation, They Came Back (working title), will be produced by the multi-award-winning writer, creator and producer Paul Abbott and his company AbbottVision, with which FME has a first look deal. FME will distribute the English adaptation internationally.

Les Revenants tells the story of a group of men and women in a small Alpine village in the shadow of a vast dam, who find themselves in a state of confusion, trying to return to their homes. What they do not know is that they have been dead for several years, and no one is expecting them back. Originally developed as a feature film, Les Revenants was adapted for TV by producers Haut et Court for the premium French pay TV channel, Canal+. The series launched in Autumn 2012 and attracted a sizeable audience averaging 1.4 million viewers across eight one-hour episodes.

Martin Carr, executive producer at AbbottVision, said, “We are very excited to be able to take They Came Back into production. There has been fierce international interest in the format and we are very fortunate to have been able to forge a relationship with Haut et Court through FME to take the series and remake it. It is a perfect fit for the AbbottVision brand.”