EXCLUSIVE: Supernatural webcomic Third Shift Society is headed to TV. Wattpad Webtoon Studios, John W. Hyde and Terissa Kelton’s Rehab Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company are developing a live-action series based on Meredith Moriarty’s original webcomic.
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Ray Utarnachitt ( DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Person of Interest ) is attached to write the adaptation.
Third Shift Society follows Ellie, a normal-seeming young woman, whose world is upended when she meets cursed paranormal detective, Ichabod, who might have the answers she seeks about her latent psychic powers. Ichabod introduces Ellie to the world of the Third Shift, and together they’ll investigate paranormal mysteries involving all things that go bump in the night: ghosts, vampires, witches, even demons… and those are just some of the clients.
Aron Levitz, David Madden and Sera Tabb will executive produce for Wattpad Webtoon Studios. Hyde and Kelton will executive produce for Rehab Entertainment, and Lisa Henson will executive produce for The Jim Henson Company.
Third Shift Society has over 15 million global views online and has also been published as a graphic novel by Webtoon Unscrolled. The title was also nominated for an Eisner Award in 2020 for “Best Webcomic.”
“Just like her global fandoms on Webtoon, we absolutely fell in love with Meredith’s stunning artwork and the immersive paranormal world she’s built in Third Shift Society ’, said David Madden, Head of Global Entertainment at Wattpad Webtoon Studios. “With memorable characters, dark humor, and slow-burn mysteries, this is a perfect story to bring to a series format. We’re thrilled to have partners on this project that are as passionate as we are about creating incredible fantasy content, including Ray Utarnachitt, who I’m very happy to be working with again after our time together on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow .”
Madden is referring to his stint as President of Berlanti Productions, which produced the CW’s superhero drama.
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“Meredith Moriarty’s webcomics are wildly original and depict the kind of richly detailed world and characters that we relish bringing to life,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “We are ready to produce a series that this fabulous property deserves.”
Third Shift Society is the latest collaboration for Wattpad Webtoon Studios and The Jim Henson Company. They are teamed-up on an animated series adaptation of Rachel Smythe’s Webtoon series Lore Olympus , which has over 1.7 billion global views. The Jim Henson Company and Rehab Entertainment also have partnered on multiple projects in development as well as the Apple TV+ series Harriet the Spy.
“Life’s funny. One minute you’re obsessed with a supernatural webcomic and daydreaming about shipping a quirky, nascent psychic with a smoldering, pumpkin-headed detective, next you’re adapting it into a TV series with some of your favorite creators and producers,” said Terissa Kelton, EVP & Co-Founder of Rehab Entertainment. “John and I are ready to clock in to the Third Shift with this brilliant team to craft stories filled with mysteries, spooky meet-cutes, and paranormal creatures that only Jim Henson’s Creature Shop can conjure up,”
Wattpad Webtoon Studios’ TV and film projects in development include a Death of a Pop Star with Diablo Cody and Mason Novick; Freaking Romance with Skybound Entertainment; Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell with Imagine Entertainment; and Hawk with Christopher Yost, among many others.
Rehab Entertainment is working with Disney Studios and Secret Machine on a live-action relaunch of Flight of the Navigator with Bryce Dallas Howard attached to direct and also has an untitled horror feature penned by Sehaj Sethi; an adult animated series based on the life and YouTube Channel of Blind Surfer Pete Gustin; a sequel to the 1986 classic, Short Circuit ; and a series of TV and film projects based on comic book properties by Deadpool co-creator, Rob Liefeld.
In addition to Lore Olympus , The Jim Henson Company is also in development on an adaptation of The Witchlands book series by Susan Dennard, the recently announced feature film Grendel with Jeff Bridges, and a series for Amazon Prime based on the faeries of long-time Henson collaborators Brian and Wendy Froud.
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