It's Official: 'The Killing' Being Revived at AMC

AMC

The Killing

In a rare reversal of fortune, The Killing will return to AMC for a third season.

our editor recommends

AMC, Netflix in Talks to Revive 'The Killing'

'The Killing' Ratings Dip in Finale, Still Down From First Season

Emmys 2012: 'The Killing's' Brent Sexton Defends Show, Doubtful About Season 3 (Video)

AMC Cancels 'The Killing'

'The Killing's' Rosie Larsen Killer on Keeping TV's Biggest Secret (Q&A)

The news comes some six months after the cable network announced it was canceling the Fox TV Studios drama after two critically adored seasons. Despite early reports that a Netflix deal would be a key part of the equation, no such pact had been struck at press time. AMC was able to shave its license fee considerably, while Fox will look to lower the show's budget where it can, according to multiple sources.

PHOTOS: Emmys 2012: On the Set of AMC's 'The Killing'

Showrunner Veena Sud and her team have been back in the writers room for weeks. Emmy-nominated star Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman are both set to return, though some of the castmembers, including Billy Campbell and Michelle Forbes, will not. 

“The Killing from day one has been a truly original take on the crime drama," said AMC president Charlie Collier in a statement. "We're so pleased to welcome it back for another season." Added Fox TV Studios president David Madden, “We have always believed in The Killing and remain extremely proud of it, which is why we all worked so hard to find a scenario that could give it new life.”

The drama, based on the Danish series Forbrydelsen (The Crime), had revolved around Seattle police detectives Sarah Linden (Enos) and Stephen Holder (Kinnaman) as they investigated the murder of teenager Rosie Larsen and all those connected to it. The series' third season will track a new case, which will be solved during the course of 12 episodes. It will be set a year after closing the Larsen case, and Linden is no longer a detective. But when her ex-partner Holder's search for a runaway girl leads him to discover a gruesome string of murders that connects to a previous murder investigation by Linden, she is drawn back into the life she thought she'd left behind.

Production is set to begin Feb. 25 in Vancouver.

“I couldn’t be happier to know that I will be returning to work with AMC, FTVS and Mireille and Joel on what is and has always been a passion project for me," said Sud. "To the fans that have supported the series, thank you for doing so. My team and I will work hard to deliver the best story that we can for season three."

Emmys Roundtable: The Faces Behind the Most Talked-About Dramas on TV

After premiering to relatively large ratings in the series' first season, the heavily serialized drama saw its figures slide after the show outraged fans with an unexpected cliffhanger at the season's conclusion. Despite a season one promo campaign that suggested a conclusion was forthcoming , the series didn't address the central question -- who killed Rosie Larsen? -- until the end of season two.

Following the summer cancellation news, both DirecTV and Netflix had conversations with the studio about moving forward with the ambitious drama. Deeper-pocketed Netflix became the front-runner, though a deal has yet to come to fruition. Going forward, Mikkel Bondesen and Kristen Campo will remain involved as an executive producer and co-executive producer, respectively.

Sud is newly repped by WME, which is said to have played a key role in getting the series back on the air, as well as Felker Toczek. Enos is repped by CAA, Gartner/Green Entertainment and Stone Meyer; Kinnaman is repped by UTA, Magnolia Entertainment and Hansen Jacobson.

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; @LaceyVRose