By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday December 18, 2013
Lionsgate TV has put in development a drama series based on Nick Bilton’s bestselling book Hatching Twitter: A True Story Of Money, Power, Friendship, And Betrayal, with former executive and now Lionsgate-based producer Allison Shearmur attached to executive produce. Bilton, a columnist and reporter for the New York Times, will write the script and serve as producer. Hatching Twitter gives behind-the-scenes account of the creation of the service by four friends and its evolution into a social media phenomenon. “Twitter has transformed almost every aspect of our lives from politics to business to friendship, and I can’t think of a more compelling story to adapt for television right now,” said Lionsgate’s Kevin Beggs. “Nick’s book has all the elements of a great drama with its complex characters, high-stakes power struggles and betrayed friendships.”
The project will inevitably draw comparisons to the hit David Fincher-Aaron Sorkin movie The Social Network, which tracked the origins of Facebook. “The Social Network was a perfect film, and this series will be different, providing a longer view of the work life changes, gamesmanship and personal sacrifices made by a group of individuals who are building a company that will change the way that people communicate,” Shearmur said. Bilton is repped by CAA and Katinka Matson.