Daily Mail is looking to make a second home in Hollywood, with the long-running British newspaper striking a deal with Storied Media Group LLC to help it license its content to film, TV and streaming production companies, TheWrap has learned.
This is the first time Daily Mail and General Trust PLC, the owner of the Daily Mail, Mail Online and New Scientist, have partnered with a film and TV representative.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the world-class journalism of the Daily Mail and New Scientist to a broader audience and expand our international reach. We look forward to working with SMG on future projects,” said Vere Harmsworth, chief commercial officer of DMG Media.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It is also unclear if London-based Daily Mail has any articles in particular that it is hoping to turn into a movie or TV show.
Beyond looking to license Daily Mail’s content to producers, Santa Monica-based SMG will also work with the outlet and New Scientist to create branded series across multiple categories; those include true crime, sports, health, climate change and artificial intelligence.
The deal comes as DM is looking for ways to capitalize on the 129 years’ worth of stories it has banked. Its website and print circulation reach more than 33 million readers each month, while New Scientist, a popular science magazine, reaches nearly 3 million.
SMG has previously worked with a number of production companies to turn content from outlets like the Philadelphia Inquirer and The New York Times into shows; the company also helped package Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule,” which was based on a 2014 NYT article.
They will leverage their StoryScout platform, which gives producers and studios a curated selection of intellectual properties, to streamline the process and make it easier to strike deals.
“Daily Mail and New Scientist publish more than 1,000 articles every day and have a treasure trove in their archives. I’m excited to work with their leadership team to help navigate their return to our market,” said Todd Hoffman, CEO and founder of SMG.
The post Daily Mail Strikes Deal to License Stories for TV and Film Adaptations | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.