20th Century Fox adapts 'Kidnapped' for US

American TV conglomerate 20th Century Fox has acquired the rights to an Israeli drama series called "Hatufim" (kidnapped), Variety reported. "Kidnapped" creator Gideon Raf will be co-writing the US version with 24 executive producer Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa.

"Kidnapped" tells the story of three Israeli soldiers who were held as prisoners in Lebanon for 17 years. Two out of three survive and return to Israel as part of a prisoner exchange. Each hour-long episode examines their assimilation back to society and to the lives of their loved ones.

The US adaptation will have a variation in setting and time period, but Gordon said the Israeli version’s similarities to American politics attracted him to "Kidnapped".

He told Variety, “The show was specific to Israel because of their geopolitical and national reality, but there was a very strong overlap in many ways and resonance with our country, since we're currently engaged in two military conflicts.”

With the pending title, "Patriots," the US spin-off will be about two American soldiers who become war prisoners after 9/11 and return to America a decade later. A mysterious death and a soldier’s alleged terrorist intentions will be the central riddles of the plot.

"Kidnapped" is the second show 20th Century Fox has acquired from media company, Keshet. The first acquisition was the comedy sitcom "Ramzor" (traffic light) on the Fox network.

Reprinted with permission from Shalom Life