The UK's IAC Film & Television has acquired TV and film rights to Hammer Force, a series of best-selling thriller novels about a covert team of crack United Nations agents.

The UK and US-based sales and financing house is kicking off the books' exploitation by arranging the finance for a $25m, 22-part TV series. IAC has also bought game and merchandising rights to the books, which have been published in 36 countries.

IAC's Guy Collins aims to use Hammer Force to repeat the success of the Highlander franchise, which IAC developed with the US' Davis Panzer Productions.

"We have been looking for an action thriller TV series to follow on from the new Highlander TV series that we are currently structuring," Collins said. "Hammer Force has all the elements for a winning TV and film franchise, combining a highly contemporary and topical series of story-line action thriller elements with just a touch of fantasy."

Other projects new to IAC's slate include Do You Remember Bray, an Irish love story based on the book by Lee Dunne. Hammer Force and Bray were brought to IAC by Jonathan Dunne, who will act as executive producer with IAC on both projects.