M edia company and broadcaster Quebecor Content has acquired the adaptation rights to the hit unscripted format The Masked Singer.

Montreal-based prodco Productions Déferlantes is set to produce the Quebec version into an 11 x 60-minute series for TVA, with plans to premiere in fall 2021.

Quebecor Content picked up the rights from MBC America. The format was created by South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation with the series The King of the Masked Singer, which sees celebrities perform in elaborate costumes that hide their identity while a panel of judges guess who they are.

The format gained popularity in the west when U.S. network Fox adapted it into The Masked Singer; it has been adapted in more than 40 countries.

Productions Déferlantes has produced a number of successful unscripted format adaptations for the Quebec market, including singing competition La Voix and the recently revived reality series Star Académie.

“Quebecor Content continues to acquire the biggest formats making their mark around the world,” said Christine Maestracci, VP, acquisitions and international distribution at Quebecor Content, in a statement. “We are delighted to add The Masked Singer to the long list of internationally successful formats that Quebecor Content and local producers have brilliantly adapted to the Quebec market.”

Quebecor Content also confirmed the return of its hit original format Révolution in 2021, following a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series, created by Montreal prodco Fair Play and Quebecor Content, has been adapted in a number of global markets, including Lithuania, China and Russia.

Photo by Michael Becker via FOX