'Slumdog Millionaire' will have a sequel and television adaptation

The new production company Bridge7 acquired film and television rights from the acclaimed Oscar winner, Slumdog Millionaire.

Bridge7 is founded by producer Swati Shetty and Grant Kessman. The rights were acquired from the company Celador, which produced and financed the original 2008 film in association with Film4.

Celador will work with Bridge7 on the sequel, Deadline reported.

The 2008 film directed by Danny Boyle and scripted by Simon Beaufoy, starred Dev Patel and Freida Pinto. It focused on the adventures of 18-year-old Jamal (Patel) and his older brother, Salim, poor kids from Bombay, India. A young Latika (Pinto) joins them. A life of hardship in the slums of Bombay inspires Jamal to turn to the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionairelooking for an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and earn 25 million rupees.

It is based on the book Q&A by Vikas Swarup. It marked Patel's film debut.

It has not yet been revealed whether Patel, Pinto and other members of the original cast will return for the possible sequel, which will feature “the next chapter of Jamal's journey.”

Slumdog Millionaire It was a global box office success and won 8 Oscars, including Best Director for Boyle and Best Picture; seven BAFTA Awards, including Best Film; and four Golden Globes, including Best Drama Film. Composer AR Rahman won two Academy Awards for the film's score, and the title track, “Jai Ho.”

Shetty and Kessman said in a statement to the media:

“Some stories stay with us long after the final credits roll, and Slumdog Millionaire is certainly one of them. “His narrative is universal, transcends cultural and geographic boundaries and embodies the type of stories we love: those that unite entertainment with deep human experiences.”

“What makes Slumdog Millionaire extraordinary is not only its cinematic brilliance, encompassing storytelling, music and its extraordinary praise, but also the way it brought together talent from around the world to form a global winning team.”

Paul Smith CBE, Chairman of Celador International, joined in saying:

“I am delighted that Swati and Grant have chosen the Slumdog sequel to launch their new company. Celador looks forward to working with Bridge7, as the next chapter of Jamal's journey of discovery unfolds on screen”.