'Third Man,' 'Brighton Rock' Heading to U.S. Via New BFI Streaming Service

BFI Player Classics, which launches with a collection of around 140 British films, is available on the Roku Channel.

Classic and cult British films including Brighton Rock, The Third Man, The Wicker Man and The Man Who Fell to Earth are heading to the U.S. on a new streaming service from the British Film Institute.

BFI Player Classics — the first SVOD service to launch internationally by the BFI — is now available on the Roku Channel.

Distinct from BFI Player’s U.K. offering, BFI Player Classics launches with a collection of approximately 140 British or U.K. co-produced films, picked by BFI experts. Among the prestige filmmakers showcased are Alfred Hitchcock, John Schlesinger, Ken Russell, Lindsay Anderson, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Nicolas Roeg, Ridley Scott, Sally Potter and Terence Davies.

"We're very excited to bring BFI Player Classics to audiences in the U.S.," said Edward Humphrey, the BFI's director of digital. "The BFI brand is already well-known to discerning American film lovers through our home entertainment releases, Sight & Sound magazine and web publishing. With the launch of BFI Player Classics, those brand values of expert curation, high-quality programming and rich contextualization can now be enjoyed through a distinctively British streaming service."

New customers will have access to a seven-day free trial of BFI Player Classic, after which it will automatically turn into a paid subscription for $5.99 per month.

After the launch phase, the BFI will look to work with more U.S. platforms in the future.