adaptationrightscreator-spotlight

From Graphic Novel to Global IP: Lessons from The Orangery’s WME Deal for Authors

UUnknown

2026-01-26

11 min read

Learn how The Orangery’s WME signing shows graphic novelists how to package IP, retain key rights, and pitch for transmedia deals in 2026.

How a European transmedia studio signing with WME should change the way you plan your next graphic novel

Hook: If you’re a graphic novelist or comics creator frustrated that your best stories never make it to screen, game, or podcast — you’re not alone. Navigating transmedia interest, agency deals, and adaptation negotiations is confusing, fast-moving, and full of traps. The January 2026 news that The Orangery — a Turin-based transmedia IP studio — signed with WME shows how the industry now rewards creators who prepare their IP for cross-platform life. This article uses that deal as a practical case study for authors: what to keep, what to license, how to pitch, and how to cultivate adaptations that scale.

Top takeaways up front (inverted pyramid)

Transmedia-ready IP attracts top agencies — The Orangery’s WME deal proves packaging matters.
Retain strategic rights — film, TV, game, and merchandising rights have different values; keep negotiation levers.
Pitch with proof — audience metrics, world bibles, clear adaptation hooks, and a short proof-of-concept sequence win attention.
Plan long-term — set up a business entity, get entertainment counsel, and stage deals (option, first-look, co-development) to protect upside.

Why The Orangery + WME matters for graphic novelists in 2026

On January 16, 2026 Variety reported that The Orangery — the transmedia studio behind graphic series like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika — signed with WME. That’s not just industry gossip. It’s a data point in a broader shift we’ve seen across late 2024–2025 and into 2026: agencies and streamers are actively looking for fully realized IP that is adaptable, international, and creator-led.

Why now? Streaming platforms consolidated and refocused after 2024–2025 subscription churn; by 2026 executives are paying premium attention to proven IP that reduces development risk. Agencies like WME are building relationships with European and independent studios to secure global-first-look pipelines. For creators, that means your comic or graphic novel can be more than a book — it can be a franchise — if you build and package it with adaptation in mind.

Case study: What we can learn from The Orangery

The Orangery’s model matters because it didn’t just create great books; it structured IP around transmedia potential. Key moves that creators can replicate:

IP aggregation: They formed a studio that centralized rights for multiple titles, making it a single logical partner for agencies and streamers.
Genre clarity: Their hits span distinct, exportable genres — sci-fi for broad audiences (Traveling to Mars) and adult-romance/erotic drama (Sweet Paprika) for niche verticals with high monetization potential.
Proactive packaging: They developed bibles, adaptation treatments, and proof-of-concept materials before courting agencies — think short animatics and the kind of short-form concept testing that gets festival and streamer attention.

Those three moves — aggregation, genre clarity, and packaging — are replicable for creators at different scales. You don’t need a studio or millions in marketing to start; you need to plan and document your world like a producer.

Which rights to retain (and why)

One of the biggest missteps creators make is assigning too many rights too early. In 2026 the market recognizes that different rights bring different value streams. Here’s a practical map of what to retain, what to consider licensing, and how to structure deals:

Rights to strongly consider retaining

Sequel and spin-off rights — Keep rights to future books and derived stories, or negotiate profit participation if you license them.
Merchandising & branding rights — These are often the most lucrative long-term; retaining or co-managing merchandising rights preserves revenue and creative control over character use. For tactical examples of creator-led merch strategies, see case studies like creator commerce & merch strategies.
Author credit & approval (limited) — Full creative control is rare; negotiate approval on key elements (character names, core arc changes) rather than line-by-line script approval.

Rights you can license but structure carefully

Screen adaptation rights (film/TV) — Typical path is an option with a defined term and buy-out if the project moves forward. Keep reversion clauses after option expiry.
Interactive & gaming rights — You can license these separately (and often at higher rates if sold to a game studio rather than bundled with film/TV).
Audio and podcast adaptations — Low-cost and high-impact; license non-exclusively for pilots or short-term windows to build audience momentum. Repurposing live material into short-form audio or docs can be a low-friction way to test an audience — see a related process case study on repurposing live streams.

Rights to avoid giving away early

Global, perpetual, exclusive assignments — These remove bargaining power. If market demand appears, you’ll wish you’d kept leverage.
All-derivative works forever — Don’t sign away the right to create new works in your world unless the compensation reflects that sale.

How to make your graphic novel 'transmedia-ready'

Adaptation-friendly IP is about more than an exciting plot; it’s about modularity and clarity. Use this checklist to prepare a package that makes it easy for agents, producers, and WME-scale buyers to see the potential.

World Bible: Character sheets, timelines, location diagrams, visual reference, themes, and tonal anchors (1–2 page summaries per major arc).
Adaptation Treatments: One-page logline, a five-page series treatment (for TV), and a two-page film synopsis. Include episode breakdowns for the first season if TV is the target.
Proof of Concept: A short animatic, motion-comic sample, or narrated excerpt. In 2026, even a voiceover-driven 2–3 minute sample can catch an exec’s eye — and can be pitched like the short clips that drive discovery at festivals (see how short clips are used for festival discovery).
Audience Data: Sales figures, social follower growth, newsletter/subscriber numbers, engagement rates on posts, and demographics. Agencies value quantifiable demand; local marketing plays (think in-store and community activations) are a real signal — small bookstores and hybrid pop-ups often publish useful metrics in guides like Small Bookshop, Big Impact.
Intellectual Property Map: A one-page diagram of retained and licensed rights, historical contracts, and any pre-existing options.

How to pitch: the exact materials and metrics that get meetings in 2026

Pitching in 2026 privileges clarity, speed, and demonstrable audience. Here’s a practical set of materials and the order you should use them when contacting agents, producers, or agencies:

Email opener (one paragraph): Logline + 2 metrics (sales and engaged audience). Example: “Hi — logline. 15k copies sold across EU; 40k newsletter subscribers; short animatic attached.”
One-sheet (PDF): Visual, logline, three selling points, audience metrics, current rights status, and contact info.
World Bible & Treatment (link): Share as a password-protected link. Include a simple rights map and a brief ask (option vs. representation vs. co-development).
Proof-of-concept asset: Embed or link to a 90–180 second sample — motion comic, teaser trailer, or audio scene. If you’re testing formats, read tactical micro-event and retail approaches that help creators convert fans to customers (micro-event retail strategies for makers) or create compelling pop-up merch (designing pop-up merch).

Tip: when approaching agencies now, emphasize international adaptability (language, cultural hooks) and any existing translation or foreign sales — those boost perceived global potential.

Negotiation and deal structures creators should know

There are standard forms, but savvy creators and their lawyers use structured stages to protect upside:

Option + Purchase: Producer pays an option fee for exclusive development rights for X months; if they proceed, they exercise the option and buy the rights.
First-look/Right of First Negotiation: Agency/producer gets first opportunity to negotiate a deal before you can shop elsewhere — valuable if you trust the partner and the window is short.
Co-development deals: Shared development costs in exchange for a clearer path to production and potentially higher backend participation.
Profit Participation & Backend: Insist on clear definitions of net profits, gross participations, and merchandising splits. Use industry standard definitions; avoid “producer’s gross” traps.

Always include reversion clauses if development stalls (e.g., rights revert after 18–24 months if no project is greenlit), and approval or consultation rights that are reasonable rather than absolute. In 2026, studios are more willing to accept shared credit that keeps creators involved while allowing efficient production decisions.

Business housekeeping: legal and structural steps worth doing now

If you haven’t already, treat your creative work like a business:

Form an LLC or suitable entity for your IP (this separates personal liability and clarifies ownership for deals).
Register copyrights in primary markets (U.S., EU, key languages) and keep organized records of creation dates and contributors.
Hire entertainment counsel experienced in cross-border deals — boutique firms or freelance entertainment lawyers work if budgets are small.
Track contributor agreements (artists, co-writers, colorists) so you can demonstrate chain of title to potential buyers or agents.

Marketing & audience-building strategies that help secure adaptation deals

By 2026, audience metrics are currency. Agencies and streamers often want proof that a concept resonates beyond critic praise. Strategies that matter:

Serialized digital launches: Drop chapters or motion-comic episodes to grow newsletter subscribers and retention metrics. If you’re new to newsletters, a practical primer is available for creators starting out (Beginner’s Guide to Launching Newsletters).
Cross-platform story extensions: Short audio dramas, character TikTok/shorts, and illustrated social scenes that expand the world — low-cost and high signal to buyers.
Collaborations with podcasters and game creators: Co-developed mini-games or audio spin-offs can demonstrate interactive potential and help you test mechanics and tone.
Community ownership (not NFTs): Membership tiers, Patreon, or subscription zines give you direct revenue and a core audience that agencies value. For different ways to convert community engagement into sustainable revenue, see discussions of thread economics.

Red flags to watch for in transmedia offers

Not every offer is a step forward. Protect yourself from common pitfalls:

Unclear scope: If a contract asks for “all media, worldwide, in perpetuity,” pause and get counsel.
Low option fees: Token fees with long option periods can strip leverage. Negotiate meaningful option payments and milestones.
No reversion: Always require a reversion clause if the buyer does not advance the project within an agreed window.
Unbalanced credits: Beware of offers that limit your future use of your own characters or demand undisclosed changes to the IP ownership structure.

Good offers clarify what is being bought, for how long, and what happens if nothing happens.

Six-month action plan for creators who want transmedia deals

Follow this timeline to turn a graphic novel into an attractive transmedia package:

Month 1: Audit rights, form an entity, register copyrights, and hire entertainment counsel.
Month 2: Build a one-sheet, world bible, and 1-page adaptation treatments for film & TV.
Month 3: Produce a 90–180 second proof-of-concept asset (animatic, motion-comic, or audio scene). If you plan live activations or immersive shows to promote a title, study case studies like a pop-up immersive club night for inspiration on staging and community engagement.
Month 4: Gather and present audience metrics; clean up contributor agreements and chain of title documentation.
Month 5: Start outreach to boutique agencies, producers, and select managers with the one-sheet and sample assets. Small in-person activations and micro-events can boost buyer interest — see playbooks for micro-events and fan commerce.
Month 6: Negotiate option structure or first-look, guided by counsel. Secure reversion terms and merchandising clauses.

Where the market is heading (2026 predictions)

Based on deals like The Orangery/WME and 2025 market activity, expect these trends through 2026–2027:

More agency-studio partnerships: Agencies will continue signing transmedia studios to package IP for their global clients.
Short-form concept testing: Streamers and platforms will prefer short, measurable pilot experiments (episodes, audio pilots, game demos) before full development — a trend closely related to how short clips drive discovery.
Interactive-first adaptations: Games and interactive experiences will be courted earlier in development as publishers chase higher engagement metrics.
Creator equity: Savvy deals will increasingly include equity stakes or revenue shares in franchise businesses rather than flat buyouts.

Final checklist before you sign anything

Do you have an entertainment lawyer?
Is there a clear option period and reversion clause?
Which rights are you licensing and which are you retaining?
Do you understand backend participation and merchandising splits?
Is your chain of title clean and documented?
Do you have a proof-of-concept asset and audience metrics ready to share?

Conclusion: Use the Orangery deal as a blueprint, not a lottery ticket

The Orangery’s WME signing is an encouraging signal: agencies want transmedia-ready IP and they are willing to partner with European and indie players. For creators, the takeaway is clear: structure your IP, build proof, and negotiate with long-term value in mind. You don’t need to become a studio overnight, but you should think like one — protect your rights, package your world, and cultivate measurable audience demand.

Actionable next steps

Create or update a 1-page world bible for your current project this week.
Set up an LLC or IP-holding entity within the next 30 days.
Produce a 90-second proof-of-concept (even a narrated slideshow) within two months.
Get a consult with entertainment counsel before signing any option/assignment.

If you want templates — a one-sheet, a rights map, and a basic option-term checklist — I’ve prepared a starter pack for creators preparing for transmedia conversations. Sign up for the readers.life creator bulletin or reply to this post with your project genre and I’ll point you to the right template.

Call to action: Ready to move from page to screen? Download the Transmedia Starter Pack, get a free 15-minute rights checklist review, and join a monthly workshop where we break down deals like The Orangery’s in real time. Your story can be more than a book — but only if you plan for it.

Unknown

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.