The Social Network was a hugely successful movie, both critically and commercially. I’m not entirely convince a movie based on Justin.tv will enjoy quite the same levels of acclaim, but you never can tell with Hollywood.
The Social Network…
When The Social Network, the movie directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg which tells a fictionalized account of how Facebook came to be founded, was released there were a spate of fake movie trailers made. The showed what a movie detailing the launching of other tech startups, such as YouTube, eBay, and Yahoo! might look like.
However, it turns out no one was actually interested in the movie and television rights to these stories, and it’s actually Justin.tv which has been targeted. Yes, that’s Justin.tv, the live video streaming company which allows everyone to become the star of their own television network.
Justin.tv: The Movie
A group led by RicheProductions has acquired the movie and television rights to Justin.tv, although what it’s actually going to do with them is as yet unclear. Even its latest launch, TwitchTV, is included in the deal.
Peter Riche said:
“We are thrilled to be in business with Justin.tv and the entrepreneurial spirit the founders and the company represent. We look forward to exploring the many creative possibilities in film, television and across all media outlets.”
suggests the movie could tell the story of how the company was founded and how the four people involved are still involved and still good friends. In other words, the complete opposite of Facebook and The Social Network.
I assume the rights go deeper than just the founding of the company, which suggests a television show based on some of the bigger characters present on Justin.tv and how they’re using the site to build their online personas.
Conclusions
This is an interesting concept to say the least. Justin.tv wouldn’t have been my first choice for the next startup to get its own movie, but then I’m not a Hollywood producer with an eye for what makes a good story. If I was I think I’d have gone for YouTube, but that’s just me.
[Via Deadline]
