Hulu Developing YA Drama ‘Capsized’ From ‘PLL’ EP Charlie Craig
EXCLUSIVE: Amid a renewed focus on coming-of-age shows, Hulu has put in development drama Capsized, based on the upcoming YA novel by Kill the Lax Bro author Charlotte Lillie Balogh who will co-write and executive produce the adaptation with Charlie Craig (Pretty Little Liars). 20th Television is the studio.
As the streaming home of sibling Disney cable channel Freeform, Hulu was an early leader in the YA space with series like Pretty Little Liars before Netflix and Prime Video became streaming heavyweights in the genre with such shows as Wednesday, Stranger Things, Ginny & Georgia, Outer Banks and The Summer I Turned Pretty. That pipeline is no longer there as Freeform got out of scripted originals.
Hulu is now looking to reclaim its position with a wave of coming-of-age series targeting both traditional YA stories featuring teenage protagonists as well as shows about twentysomethings going through college and entering the workforce.
Following the success of drama Tell Me Lies, which just wrapped its three-season run, Hulu has coming up Mindy Kaling’s comedy series Not Suitable For Work, both falling into the latter category.
Capsized is a classic YA project, joining upcoming series Phony, starring Sam Nivola and Connie Britton, and pilot Foster Dade, which is awaiting a pickup decision. (The Buffy reboot pilot, which didn’t go forward, also would’ve been part of the streamer’s YA slate.)
All three share a teen mystery genre DNA with Pretty Little Liars, making Craig a suitable choice to co-write the Capsized adaptation with Balogh and serve as showrunner on the potential series. He was executive producer/co-showrunner with I. Marlene King on both Pretty Little Liars and spinoff PLL: The Perfectionists.
Set in the elite world of girl’s high school rowing, Capsized follows Jo Bryant, a spitfire novice, and Margaret Douglas, the polished varsity captain, as they and their teammates unravel a dark secret behind their coach’s legacy and train for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta.
Craig’s YA series credits also include the CW’s The 100 and Reign. He is repped by Rob Golenberg at Pivot Artists Group.
Balogh self-published her first book when she was 16. Capsized is her second novel with Delacorte Press A lifelong superhero fan, Balogh began her career in TV and film at DC Entertainment, working on projects including Wonder Woman 1984 and the CW’s Stargirl. She is repped by Michael Bourrett at Dystel Goderich & Bourret and Jillian Davis at Kaplan Stahler Agency.
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