Sony is moving into the young adult content arena, pacting with YA specialist Komixx Entertainment on a slate of projects.
Sony Pictures Television has kids channels as well as wide selection of TV series, but this is its first foray into the YA category. Komixx has experience in YA, including producing a feature adaptation of Welsh teen author Beth Reekles’ “The Kissing Booth” for Netflix.
The first projects out of the Sony-Komixx deal will be “Captured,” Kelly Anne Blount’s thriller, which has proved hugely popular on the Wattpad platform, and teen spy novel series “Cherub.”
“Captured” is being worked up as a 20×10-minutes digital series and “Cherub” as a 10x45mins TV series. Another show in development is “My Life With the Walter Boys,” based on the novel from Ali Novak, which has registered 66 million reads on self-publishing digital platform Wattpad.
Independent content company Komixx has bases in London, L.A., and Perth, Australia. Its deal with Sony is set to run for several years.
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“Generation Z want to see drama that represents their point of view and comes from a place they can identify with,” said Andrew Cole-Bulgin, head of film and TV at Komixx. “This deal represents a big step forward for both Komixx and Sony Pictures Television in developing the most compelling young adult IP for TV and film, and we’re very excited for the future of the partnership.”
Wayne Garvie, president, international production, SPT, added: “The number of young-adult book titles has more than doubled in the last decade and the popularity of self-publishing sites, like Wattpad, have created a surge in original young-adult content. It’s an excellent time to be adapting these characters and stories for video.”
