IP Picksš: A Dramatic Spin on āLand of the Lostā & a Reality TV Redemption Tale
ā A seven-figure fanfic deal and a landmark legal case is ripe for a timely prestige adaptation
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Legendary made a huge Romantasy bet this week when it paid a reported $3M plus for SenLinYuās forthcoming romantasy Alchemised, which pubs on Sept. 23. The novel, which is getting a huge 750,000 copy first printing and has locked up translation deals in 21 languages, is part of a wave of popular āDramioneā-inspired fanfic crossing over to mainstream publishing alongside this summerās Rose in Chains by Julie Soto and The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley, both of which made a New York Timesā bestseller list.
For those who donāt spend their time deep in one of the internetās popular fanfic communities, āDramioneā is a portmanteau for the shipping of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger with the kind of antagonistic, enemies-to-lovers dynamic thatās speculative catnip for diehard fans. Itās one of the most popular segments of fanfic right now, alongside āReyloā stories shipping Kylo Ren and Rey from the Star Wars films. Before you ask, yes, thereās a Reylo-inspired movie in the works as well.
The jump from fanfic to mainstream publishing and even to the big screen isnāt far-fetched. Recall that Fifty Shades of Grey began life as Twilight fanfic, although the numerous revisions, absence of sexy vampires and changed setting made that connection hard to see unless you knew the bookās history.
Iāve been tracking the āDramioneā books all summer as part of my ongoing effort to make sense of the romantasy space. Even so, the seven-figure price tag for Alchemised took my breath away. Itās the splashiest fanfic option since Universal and Focus Features kicked off the trend when they acquired the rights to Fifty Shades in 2012. On one hand, the basic narrative of a bad boy/good girl romance is as road-tested as any trope out there. And itās also one that has a history in the fantasy genre that predates the emergence of romantasy as a category.
On the other hand, romantasy projects for the screen have had a hard time getting off the ground ā even those playing off the most popular IP. Also, since the publication of Alchemised is still two weeks off, we donāt have any idea how popular the book will be. The coming weeks will tell us a lot.
Still, whenever I feel the urge to be pessimistic about both romantasy and fanfic I think back to some of the big hits since the dawn of the 2000s ā notably Twilight, Fifty Shades and The Hunger Games ā and check myself. Letās not forget thereās a proven audience here. And itās an audience that is often underestimated much in the way that the female-dominated market for romance titles is. I think that one of these romantasies will break out on the screen in a big way. Just donāt ask me to predict which one it will be yet.
š This Week: A landmark legal case primed for a timely adaptation
On to this weekās picksā¦ Weāve got a stellar batch this week, and Iām particularly high on the awards potential for a prestige drama based on a new book about a landmark womenās rights case thatās especially timely as we speak. Also, weāve got a first-rate sci-fi/fantasy adventure inspired by the goofy Saturday morning TV classic Land of the Lost. And no, thatās not a typo.
The full lineup for paid subscribers:
šØāāļø A timely legal drama based on a forgotten landmark case thatās especially relevant today.
š¦ A rollicking Land of the Lost-inspired sci-fi/fantasy adventure thatās ready for the big screen.
šŗ A drama about a former reality-show winner seeking a quick payday (and redemption) by returning to the show a decade later.
š° A gritty, Coen brothers-esque crime drama about the missing loot from a famous heist and the crooked crooks and corrupt cops hunting for it.
šāāļø A Tell Me Lies meets Friday Night Lights drama with series potential centered on a womenās cross-country team at a small college.
