“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” scribe Ray Utarnachitt is attached to write the project
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, the fan-driven studio and IP business from WEBTOON Entertainment, John W. Hyde and Terissa Kelton’s Rehab Entertainment, and the renowned Jim Henson Company will adapt the supernatural WEBTOON webcomic “Third Shift Society.” Ray Utarnachitt (“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, “The Tomorrow People,” “Person of Interest”) is attached to write the live-action series based on Meredith Moriarty’s original webcomic.
“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 a prestigious Eisner Award in 2020 for “Best Webcomic.”
“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 produce for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. John W. Hyde and Terissa Kelton will executive produce for Rehab Entertainment, and Lisa Henson will executive produce for The Jim Henson Company.
Utarnachitt was part of Greg Berlanti’s DC Multiverse having been an EP on DC’s “Legends of Tomorrow,” with writing credits on “Supergirl” and “The Flash.” He also wrote for “The Tomorrow People” and “Person of Interest”. Utarnachitt is repped by agent Jim Ehrich at Rothman Brecher Ehrich and 3 Arts.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and The Jim Henson Company are currently working together on the animated series adaptation of Rachel Smythe’s beloved WEBTOON series “Lore Olympus,” with over 1.7 billion global views. The Jim Henson Company and Rehab Entertainment also have a longstanding partnership on multiple projects in development as well as the acclaimed Apple TV+ series “Harriet the Spy.”
“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.'”
“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.”
“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, Executive Vice President & 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 has TV and film projects in development all over the world, including a “Death of a Pop Star” with Oscar winner Diablo Cody and Oscar-nominated producer Mason Novick; “Freaking Romance” with Skybound Entertainment; “Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell” with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment; and “HAWK” with MCU screenwriter Christopher Yost, among many others.
Rehab Entertainment is developing and producing content across all genres and formats. With Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Secret Machine, they are developing a live-action relaunch of “Flight of the Navigator” with Bryce Dallas Howard attached to direct; 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 adaptation 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 “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.
Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher