What is The Optionist?

Welcome! I’m Andy Lewis, the former books editor of The Hollywood Reporter. My goal with The Optionist is to do some of the reading for you as you hunt for your next great projects to develop during these streaming wars (as our sibling, The Ankler, and so many others call these times). Like all wars, each team requires resources. In this case, great intellectual property is an essential part of the ammunition as the volume of production keeps growing and growing. The facts are stunning: one statistic says 70 percent of the Top 20 films originated from books.

This excerpt from a recent story also describes the landscape:

“If you want a preview of next year’s Emmy Awards, just take a walk past your local bookstore. According to data…literary adaptations to television have been on a steady climb…[with] nearly 4,000 film and television deals since…2000, and both the number and proportion of TV deals increas(ing)dramatically in that same period. Last year, reported TV adaptations exceeded film adaptations for the first time ever.”

But reading and keeping up is, as you all know, exhausting. So each week I'll present un-optioned material from books, magazines, news articles, podcasts, games, and graphic novels (even tweets and other social media) that I think deserve a look. I'll also be talking with key players and going inside the bestseller list. Once a month or so, I intend to do a deep dive into a subject matter — sports books, Scandinavian noir, Chinese sci-fi etc. Please drop me a line and let me know your thoughts at andy@theoptionist.community.

I intend for this relationship to be 360 degrees to the extent possible. If you would, please drop me a line and let me know what you think of the newsletter, what you would like to see more of, and suggestions on how to make The Optionist more effective for you in your job.

Thanks so much for joining the community.

-Andy