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The Guardian reported that a new version of Scandinavian crime drama 'The Bridge' is to transplant the action to the border between Russia and Estonia. It will star Russian actor Mikhail Porechenkov as an investigator from the eastern side of the border and Lithuania's Ingeborga Dapkunaite as his Estonian counterpart, playing the role made famous by Sofia Helin as Saga Noren.

Russian broadcaster NTV has commissioned the show, due to air in 2017, from Weit Media, part of MasterChef maker Endemol Shine. The original edition of 'The Bridge' was made by Sweden-based Filmlance International, which is owned by Endemol, working with Danish counterpart Nimbus Film. The producers behind 'The Bridge' said they prefer working with partners on both sides of the border, and discussions are ongoing for a broadcaster on the Estonian side to air the new show, the Guardian said.

Ukraine imposed an entry ban on Porechenkov after a video posted online in 2014 showed him shooting a machine-gun at the positions of Ukrainian soldiers in eastern Ukraine while wearing a helmet with the text "PRESS." The actor later dismissed the firing of the machine-gun as a salute and denied having tried to relay any message with the helmet.

"Mikhail Porechenkov arrived in Donetsk as part of the armed gang, personally took part in the shooting at the units of the Ukrainian armed forces with automatic weapons. The video was shown on all TV channels, demonstrating this Russian citizen committing a crime in the territory of Ukraine. According to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the offense is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years," Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook at the time.

Acting on the request of the Ministry of Culture, the national security service and the Union of Cinematographists, the Ukrainian National Film Agency in 2014 banned all films and series featuring Porechenkov.

The Russian actor was blacklisted by Latvia in the same year for expressing support for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

A native of St. Petersburg, Porechenkov attended the Soviet Army Construction Forces Higher Political School in Tallinn at the end of the 1980s.

Porechenkov became famous after his lead role as FSB Agent Alexey Nikolayev in the TV series 'National Security Agent' (1999–2005). In 2008, Porechenkov produced, directed and starred in D-Day, a Russian remake of the 1985 American action film 'Commando.' He has also played in the television series 'Liquidation,' 'Issayev' and 'Spetsnaz.'

The original 'The Bridge,' set on the border between Sweden and Denmark, is set to return for a fourth series. The show has proved popular internationally, attracting an average of 1.5 million viewers on BBC4 in the UK – high for a foreign-language production and the channel's top-rated show in 2014.