The Orangery Signs With WME: Why Graphic Novel IP Is Hollywood’s New Gold

Hook: Why this matters to busy fans and industry watchers

Finding clear, timely coverage of entertainment deals is getting harder as platforms consolidate and content slates expand. For audiences and creators who want quick, reliable context — not rumor — the WME deal with newly formed transmedia IP studio The Orangery is a useful bellwether: it highlights exactly why graphic novel IP is Hollywood’s new gold and how the adaptation market is evolving in 2026.

The news in one line

On Jan. 16, 2026, Variety reported that the William Morris Endeavor agency signed The Orangery, a European transmedia IP studio founded by Italy’s Davide C.G. Caci, which owns the graphic novel properties Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika. The deal underscores a renewed, strategic hunt for serialized, character-driven IP that can launch franchises across film, TV, audio and interactive formats.

"The William Morris Endeavor Agency has signed recently formed European transmedia outfit The Orangery, which holds the rights to strong IP in the graphic novel and comic book sphere such as hit sci-fi series ‘Traveling to Mars’ and the steamy ‘Sweet Paprika.’" — Variety (Jan. 16, 2026)

Why agencies like WME are chasing graphic novel IP in 2026

There are several converging forces making graphic novel IP unusually valuable right now:

• Serialized storytelling fits streaming needs: Platforms in late 2025 and early 2026 are prioritizing multi-season shows that build subscriber retention. Graphic novels often come with built-in arcs and expansive worlds, reducing the development burden for studios.
• Proven audience signals: Strong sales, social engagement, and dedicated fandoms around titles like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika provide measurable market validation for buyers.
• Transmedia readiness: Many modern graphic novels are conceived with cross-platform possibilities — character dossiers, spinoff potential and art assets that translate directly to animation, games, and audio drama.
• International supply lines: European creators (like those behind The Orangery) bring fresh IP that global buyers want amid franchise fatigue in U.S.-only pipelines.
• Packaging advantage: Agencies such as WME can attach talent, financing and distribution concurrently, making deals cleaner and faster.

What the WME–The Orangery deal signals about the adaptation market

The signing is more than a single agency-client relationship. It reveals how IP owners and intermediaries are adapting to industry realities:

1. IP owners want partners who can scale

Studios and creators increasingly favor representation that offers global packaging muscle. WME brings leverage with studios, streamers, producers and international sales agents — critical when a graphic novel must be adapted into a multi-territory series, theatrical plan, audio drama and merchandising slate simultaneously.

2. Europe is no longer a niche supply line

The Orangery’s Turin roots and Davide C.G. Caci’s European network reflect a broader trend: worldwide creators are now central to Hollywood’s IP pipeline. Buyers value cultural specificity that still offers universal hooks, especially for science fiction and romance properties that travel well.

3. Transmedia-first IP is king

Modern buyers prize IP that arrives with assets beyond pages: concept art, character timelines, music cues, and even audio-ready scripts. That reduces early development costs and supports coordinated rollouts across platforms.

Case studies: What works when comics go to screen

We learn from both hits and missteps. Successful comics-to-screen adaptations share traits:

• Faithful tone, flexible form: The best adaptations preserve core tone and themes while reworking structure for episodic or cinematic needs.
• Showrunner attachment early: When a committed showrunner with a clear vision joins early, studios are likelier to greenlight multi-season plans.
• Cross-format playbooks: Creating an audio series, a graphic prequel, and a licensed game at launch increases audience entry points and monetization.

For The Orangery properties like Traveling to Mars (sci-fi serial potential) and Sweet Paprika (steamy romance with serialized drama), these playbooks are tailor-made. The key is preserving visual identity while expanding dramatic scope.

Actionable advice for creators, IP holders and buyers

Whether you own a comic property, represent talent, or work at a streamer, here are practical steps to capitalize on the graphic-novel boom.

For creators and IP owners

1. Secure clear chain-of-title: Before approaching agencies or studios, make sure all copyright, publishing, and contributor agreements are clean. Ambiguities kill deals.
2. Build a transmedia bible: Create concise materials that include series arcs, character biographies, visual references, and 6–10 episode outlines. Include merchandising and audio adaptation ideas.
3. Preserve merchandising and game rights: Retain or clearly assign secondary rights during early negotiations. These assets are often the long-term value drivers.
4. Audience proof points: Collect and present sales metrics, social engagement, and community examples — these strengthen leverage in negotiations.
5. Plan for localization: Early investment in adaptable dialogue and cultural notes speeds global sales and co-productions.

For agents and intermediaries

1. Package, don’t just pitch: Attach showrunners, composers, and directors early where possible — that moves projects through studio slates faster.
2. Develop short-form assets: Create sizzle reels, motion-comic teasers and vertical video teasers for buyers’ development teams and for social platforms amplification.
3. Negotiate staged rights: Use waterfall approaches that allow creators to realize value from different media while protecting core ownership.

For buyers and studios

1. Invest in translation and adaptation teams: Hire writers who can translate visual storytelling into episodic pacing without losing the source’s heart.
2. Favor transmedia-first budgets: Allocate development capital for audio and interactive pilots alongside screen tests to maximize launch impact.
3. Use global co-financing: Partner with European and APAC funds to spread risk and tap built-in audiences for titles with international origins.

Deal mechanics to watch in 2026

In the current market, certain contract elements have become non-negotiable or at least highly pursued:

• Step deals and options: Short options with milestone-based extensions reduce upfront risk for buyers while securing IP for longer windows if performance metrics are met.
• Merchandising and interactive carve-outs: Rights to games, AR experiences and collectibles are frequently negotiated separately because of different revenue timelines.
• AI and training data language: Expect explicit clauses addressing the use of artwork and scripts in AI training sets — a 2026 standard.
• Deferred compensation tied to multiples: Creators increasingly accept lower initial fees in return for backend points tied to multiple revenue streams.

Where The Orangery’s assets fit into studio strategy

Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika are archetypal of what buyers want in 2026: distinct visual identity, serialized narrative, and transmedia hooks. Here’s how studios can squeeze maximum value:

• Launch an audio-first miniseries: Use a podcast adaptation to build audience and test casting before greenlighting a full TV series.
• Release a motion-comic teaser: A short motion-comic or animated prologue can generate buzz on social platforms and help secure pre-sales from international partners.
• Coordinate merchandise drops with narrative beats: Time collectibles and soundtrack releases to series premieres and finales to sustain engagement.

Risks and pitfalls: What can go wrong

Not every comic-to-screen move succeeds. Common pitfalls include:

• Over-fragmentation: Trying to launch too many formats at once can dilute audience reaction and exhaust budgets.
• Misreading fandom: Altering core elements that define the source’s fanbase can provoke backlash and depress viewership.
• Legal ambiguity: Poorly drafted contributor agreements for art and story can derail international releases and merchandising.

The future: Three predictions for graphic novel IP in 2026–2028

1. Transmedia-first deals become the norm: By 2028, most major adaptations will be sold with explicit plans for at least two other formats (audio, game, merch).
2. European IP will drive global festival pipelines: European-origin comics and graphic novels will increasingly premiere at international festivals as hybrid content showcases.
3. AI clauses and creator protections standardize: Contract language around generative AI usage and moral rights will become a routine part of adaptation agreements.

Why this matters for audiences and podcasters

If you’re a podcast host, critic or superfandom community leader, this wave of comic adaptations is a content goldmine. Early access to showrunners, serialized release timing, and transmedia extras (motion comics, behind-the-scenes audio) give creators rich material for episodes and segments.

Quick checklist: How to evaluate a comic IP’s adaptation potential

• Does it have a clear protagonist and season-long arc?
• Are visual assets adaptable to motion without losing essence?
• Is there measurable audience engagement (sales, social, events)?
• Can rights be cleanly parceled for audio, game and merchandising?
• Is the world culturally translatable for global audiences?

Final takeaway: The Orangery–WME deal is a bellwether, not an anomaly

The WME signing of The Orangery — and the prominence of titles like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika — illustrates a larger recalibration: Hollywood wants story worlds, not one-off properties. Graphic novels, by virtue of strong visuals and serialized storytelling, offer ready-made story worlds that are transmedia-ready and internationally sellable.

For creators: tidy your rights, build a transmedia bible, and pursue representation that can package talent and global sales. For buyers: favor adaptable assets, attach showrunners early, and structure deals to maximize long-term IP revenues. For fans and podcasters: expect richer cross-platform rollouts and more behind-the-scenes content to devour.

Call to action

Stay ahead of adaptation news: follow our coverage for exclusive breakdowns of deals like the WME deal with The Orangery, deep dives into properties such as Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika, and practical guides for creators and industry professionals navigating the comics-to-screen wave. Sign up for our weekly newsletter for concise, verified updates and expert analysis.

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