OTT & Transmedia

Areale Hanks To answer your question: After it has recovered its production budget and made a remarkable profit, having established a strong and devoted fanbase, and not a fraction of a second before.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai thanks for your response.

The pre-Disney Star Wars expanded universe of novels, comics, and video games is THE example of how to expand a franchise beyond film. The old EU was basically a separate universe in and of itself with many fan-favorite characters who only exist in media outside of film or TV. Many of the most popular Star Wars stories came from the old Eu as well, including my personal favorite Star Wars media, the Knights of the Old Republic I and II video games.

It's baffling how Disney already had a blueprint for success, plus some examples of failures to avoid, and they chose to ignore all of the old EU in favor of much more inferior stories. And the few times they have taken something from the EU, such as the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn, they've made him so much dumber than he was in the books that they might as well have just made a new character.

The old EU was something truly special. Not something that existed to bolster or support the main films, but a whole living, breathing universe that took on a life of its own beyond the core George Lucas films. That was a big part of the magic of Star Wars: it was a fan-made mythology just as much as it was a series of films. It was like modern folklore, ever expanding and evolving in new and interesting ways. It's something I haven't seen any other film or TV series be able to duplicate since. I miss the old EU dearly.

Jeffrey J. Mariotte There was a similar issue that I brought up in -- https://www.stage32.com/lounge/transmedia/Film-Adaptations-transposing-I... -- where the tie-in game for the film Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever was based on a script that wasn't the film's final shooting script. The result was people saying "huh?" a lot.

Congrats on the writing career with a very interesting looking output. How did you get into that? And which project was your fave?

Jeffrey Pemberton I read Tales of the Bountry Hunters from the pre-Disney Star Wars universe and it was pretty good. It read like five novellas compiled into one volume that offered lots of detail to who were mostly background film characters. Save for Boba Fett, he had a bigger role and thus the longest story in the volume.

Michael Dzurak I like that book too. The Dengar story was my favorite.

Michael Dzurak, my first tie-in novel was based on comic book characters I had written in comics--Gen13, from WildStorm Productions/Image Comics (where I was also VP of Marketing). We produced an animated Gen13 feature and sold it to Disney, and Ace Books acquired rights to do three tie-in novels. They contracted a friend named Christopher Golden to write the first, and he asked me to collaborate on it. I did, then I wrote the second and invited another friend, Scott Ciencin, to take part. A different writer wrote the third. But Disney shelved the feature and never released it. Paramount released it internationally, so there are copies out there, and it's on YouTube.

Another bizarro tie-in story--for another publisher I was hired to write a 4-issue comic book miniseries adaptation of Terminator: Salvation. The script they gave us to work from was missing the final pages because they were terrified that somebody would reveal the ending (even though the first issue was scheduled to release when the film did, so the final issue wouldn't be out until well after the ending was known). So I wrote it without revealing the ending, since I didn't know it. But after the first issue came out, they demanded that we not release any more issues. So issue 1 (of 4) is the only one that exists, because the production company was terrified that we'd reveal an ending we didn't know.

My favorite? Probably the CSI stuff. The staff was great--welcomed me into the CSI family, set up an interview with Anthony Zuiker, had me up to the CSI: Miami set to pass out copies of of the first CSI: Miami graphic novel to cast members, which was filmed by Access Hollywood (which left me on the cutting-room floor but showed the book). And they used an original graphic novel of mine in the opening of a season 10 CSI episode. I wrote three novels for the Vegas series and one for Miami, plus comics for both of those, and as an editor I ran the comics line. Terrific people at the production company and at CBS, all of whom are still friends.

So if AI steals a lot of stuff, it’s just a great artist? Humans borrowing bits is fine, homages are great, out and out stealing is breach of trust amongst creatives - unless credit is given - and stealing is a civil offence as music artists have found to their benefit/cost when it goes to court.

I wasn’t even thinking about AI David Taylor, and in the context of “good artists borrow, great artists steal” it means great artists take something that’s been done and make it theirs. I wasn’t talking about actual stealing.

Universal themes, (at least some,) are relative to all. Geographic boundaries, social, political & economic situations may vary considerably, but the emotions triggered by the passages of life are a constant to all. Core themes like Addiction, First Love, Jealousy, Betrayal etc; often meet common character tropes which adds to the familiarity you mention. Some films too, are based on fables & the archetypes within. With over a hundred years of films, in many genres, very random films can feel the same story, due to a universal element being rehashed in a different way. Not complaining though, & think hybrid genres are popular, cos the elements mix and match in new ways.

HIMYM - the in-world lore of Robin Sparkle was always a delight!

The recent horror game that's not too long and almost entirely based on atmosphere not plot, Exit 8, had a 2025 feature length film adaption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlRQ1oatOt8

That’s a great showing, Cynna Ael, and I agree with you! The lore‑first expansion approach really does keep the project fun. For me, I figured I might as well build an IP bible for each project as a new writer, so I can adapt to the changing environment. It’s the best way for the industry to clearly see the project, and it helps everything move efficiently while also showing that you fully understand your own world.

A beta system for this just launched. It's called storyversestream and it's based on IP with lore. It's free to get up and moving for any creator with a story or prosuct.

I never saw or played the Exit 8 video game, but I saw its film adaptation earlier this year and quite liked that. Intriguing concept and a suspenseful story with a few unexpected twists developments. I don't really consider the film to be primarily a horror film in a conventional sense, though it has a couple jump scares and creepy scenes.

To answer your question, I initially opted to develop the game alongside the screen material, and when I saw that Netflix had discontinued the fairly tasty screen adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Altered Carbon which had also been aiming for a game to be produced through CD Projekt Red (makers of Cyberpunk 2077). Getting anything accomplished with a game lab that has a near 20-year backlog isn't terribly practical, so I opted to publish the game material before turning to the screen medium in order to have a fuller presentation for potential producers. I'm not regretting my choice thus far.

"Makes me wonder what it is with my appetite for such fare currently"

Sci-fi is an escape from reality that also reflects that reality. So many sci-fi movies of the past would feel awkward now since they were simultaneously far off and anchored in their time. This also reflects the authors' mindsets. For example, "Them!" and "Godzilla" are reflections of fears in the then new nuclear age, while also reflecting the age-old fear of out of control wild animals.

"do I hate the state of the world so much that I wish I could get off this planet? Who knows?"

I don't know, but I have a guess. My first sci-fi script in 2020 was both nostalgia and a desire for a more exciting life. I can't travel physically, nor go back to old childhood stomping grounds, so I wrote a story originating from my desire for that. It has since taken some new shapes in revisions, but I guess the point is, if you can't travel for real, travel by story. Reading and writing. Some of the best stories aren't by professional authors, but by those who dreamed during their own regular life.

All great points Michael Dzurak, I definitely never thought of sci-fi as both an escape and a reflection (maybe I took it for granted?). But about travelling by story, that's very much true. It's why my stuff is drenched in nostalgia for a time I either knew or didn't, while also somewhat forward-thinking. It's hard to explain lol but no matter what it's my world~

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh Adventure stories are my favorite too, especially sci‑fi! I always end up circling back to big, high‑concept journeys. Fantasy is my main go‑to though, so I love returning to those worlds whenever I can.

Same Dwayne Williams 2, I love world-building and getting lost in them. Small wonder that I also enjoy travelling (and sucks that I can't travel as much as I'd like). Maybe a part of me feels bored with Earth and wants to imagine what else is out there.

I totally agree Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, it’s both an escape and a way to help others imagine new worlds! :)

Adam Spencer Let me be brutally honest. I have two degrees, still work in the convoluted and mystical world of entertainment law, am the COO of a quantum compute startup, and have been in the film industry since 1995 and on so-called transmedia projects since 2004. With that, it took me three slow reads and an examination of your website to figure out what you are saying here. I am still not sure. Is this sales copy? Is it supposed to explain what you are trying to do? It feels like a AI generated explanation of an academic approach to merchandising that tries to convert a product to a transmedia experience.

I hear you on the clarity. This is not academic framing or theoretical merchandising. It is a physical design approach. Grottenaar and the other cities are built as entry points into the story. The model is something you build and explore, where the structure and details reflect the world’s history and biology. The goal is simple. Engagement through building and interaction, not just display. If that did not come through clearly, that is on me. The idea itself is concrete and execution driven.

I've seen games on flight, but it was pretty basic games like solitaire and the like. There was an option to network seats and play against and/or with someone, such as for poker.

However, getting a better computer system and a suite of more sophisticated games, there could be an inflight server for say Mario Kart or Wii Bowling and other G-rated multiplayer classics. Doom is awesome, but it'll likely off put those who don't want to see violent content flashing one seat over.

That’s actually a pretty cool idea, especially for long haul flights where people get bored after a few hours. Having access to proper games instead of just movies would definitely make the time go faster, and unreleased demos could be a big draw if done right. I think people would try it, especially if the pricing stays low like you mentioned. It could even connect with digital ecosystems a bit, like letting players link rewards or accounts they already use, I was reading https://cryptopayingnz.com/buy-cryptocurrency-nz/swyftx-nz-review/ recently and it made me think how crypto payments or in flight credits could fit into something like this and make it feel more modern.

The main challenges I see are hardware and maintenance, because running AAA games smoothly would need solid onboard systems, plus controllers, updates, and making sure everything works without issues during the flight. Licensing could also get complicated if you are offering unreleased content. But if airlines partnered directly with studios, it could actually turn into a nice extra revenue stream.

Yeah, I agree, there can definitely be distractions. Geoff Hall It is important to understand your creative goals, so you can recognize which voices genuinely support your story and discern which ones carry real experience and credibility.

Generally speaking, I ask myself whether a voice can be considered as "reasonable" under the auspices of what passes for a standard conversational tone, unless the voice is meant to utterly bisect others, which also has its place. Voices are like the threads in a tapestry; they need to weave around one another to complete a picture.

AJ McNamara I like that AJ: “Voices are like the threads in a tapestry; they need to weave around one another to complete a picture.”

Good reminder! The story comes first, not your attachment to a scene. I recently cut a joke I loved because it served me, not the character. The scene breathes better now. What's one thing you've let go of that helped your script?

That’s a great example, Sam Rivera! One thing I recently adjusted was refining some of my backstories to set up stronger franchise potential, and I also reworked a world‑building mechanic that helped the larger story world connect more clearly.

Yes.

Debbie Croysdale Really well put. I think the biggest shift in adaptation is moving from internal experience to external expression. What works on the page often has to be reimagined visually rather than translated directly.

And like you mentioned, practical constraints (budget, location, regulations) quietly shape storytelling more than audiences realize. It becomes less about “faithfulness” and more about capturing the core emotional truth in a different medium.

The HouseMaid- changed the ending from the book. That said, it was still was an amazing story. I actually loved how they adapted the book to movie.

I think Sherlock Holmes has suffered enough and should be given a decent and permanent burial.

Hi, I've adapted three novels (two best sellers) to screenplays: Into the Beautiful North by Luis Urrea, In the Shadow of the Angel by Kathryn Blair and Zapatista by Peter Ross. They all went smoothly. However my biggest concern was losing options and producers switching gears on me and wanting to produce a limited series and I didn't have the TV or Streaming rights. One author increased the option amount when the option ran out and I was very close to getting it produced. Another author wouldn't extend the option, again very close to getting it produced. Both novels ended up never being produced. Hoping the "third time's a charm" with mystery -thriller, Zapatista. It's a tough game. However I love adapting novels and I'm pretty good at it.

This is great to read! Thank you for sharing this and I find this so much more interesting this the company is Dutch founded and working on a global scale!