IP Picksđ: The New New 'Thing'
â The next 'Vikings' and a thriller for Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney
Welcome to The Optionist. Thanks for reading along.
A couple of weeks ago, I flagged Elaine Low's excellent series of articles on what the various studios and streamers are currently looking to buy over at The Ankler's âSeries Businessâ vertical. Well, her latest installment is now up and it provides an insightful look at whatâs going on over at NBCUniversal. When youâre done with that, I suggest checking out another new series, which turns the tables and fills us in on what audiences want right now.
The first three pieces in the series key in on three âopportunity audiencesâ: Bicultural Latinos, the Heartland and cross-generational viewers. Theyâre loaded with interesting takeaways, much of which reinforce the picks we make here at The Optionist. Developing shows is still more of an art than a science, and more than one project has flamed out while attempting to give viewers what producers think they want as opposed to simply making good entertainment. That said, many of the articlesâ insights are percolating in the back of my head as I continue to comb the landscape for recommendations to pass along to you that speak to this moment. Read the whole series, itâs well worth your time.
On to this week's picks, which include a sequel to a book I previously championed and an unlikely history book thatâs ripe for development.
The full lineup:
A magical-realist YA drama about two teens who body-swap and discover the grass isnât always greener on the other side
A slice of history that could be the basis for a Vikings-like show
A YA action-adventure that follows up on a book I recommended last year
A horror tale that reads like an updated spin on The Thing
A domestic thriller in the vein of Gone Girl, which traces a couple who host a successful home-renovation series
