Digital story publishing platform Wattpad has announced a deal with Universal Cable Productions (UCP) — a division of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment that produces shows like Mr. Robot and Suits — to develop original television projects derived from stories distributed via Wattpad.
The ensuing series will come from multiple genres, according to the companies, including mystery, teen, science fiction, and action. In addition to Wattpad’s 2.3 million monthly writers who have helmed a total of 300 million total stories, the platform also provides real-time insight into what stories are trending, which will presumably make greenlighting projects a more data-driven proposition. Readers and fans could even help impact the development process of future shows, said Wattpad Studios head Aron Levitz.
Wattpad, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, announced Wattpad Studios in April — a venture whereby it will manage a community of writers in a similar way that multi-channel networks manage video creators, helping to harness partnerships, manage talent, and provide analytics solutions.
Wattpad’s partnership with UCP arrives in the wake of a similar pact that the company inked with Turner in June to adapt some of its best stories for broadcast on TBS and TNT. The first series to emerge from that deal will appear within a Tales From The Crypt reboot curated by M. Night Shyamalan and airing on TNT, where Wattpad writers can win a chance to create horror stories for the weekly horror block.
“There’s no place for hunches and guesses when it comes to content development these days,” Levitz said in a statement. “Data- and community-driven entertainment is the future, and Wattpad Studios is leading the way.” Added UCP’s EVP of development Dawn Olmstead: ”We’re always looking for ways to find untapped, unsigned talent and budding writers from around the U.S. and world…Aron and his team manage a virtual fountain of story with great aplomb and we’re excited to dive into their content.”
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