YOUTUBE ORDERS SUPER-POWERED TELEPORTATION DRAMA PILOT FROM UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS
"IMPULSE"
Hypnotic's Doug Liman Set to Executive Produce and Direct Drama Based on Impulse, from the Jumper series by Steven Gould
Deal Marks First Scripted Production Between UCP and YouTube
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - October 17, 2016 - Universal Cable Productions (UCP) and YouTube today announced a pilot order for IMPULSE, a teleportation action-thriller. This 60 minute drama marks the first deal between UCP and YouTube. Doug Liman ("Bourne Identity," "Live. Die. Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow") is attached to direct and executive produce along with Hypnotic's David Bartis and Gene Klein, who also produce UCP's hit series "Suits." Jeffrey Lieber ("Lost," "NCIS: New Orleans") is writing the pilot which is scheduled for production before the end of year.
Based on the third novel in the Jumper series by Steven Gould, IMPULSE features a rebellious 16-year-old girl who has always felt different from her peers and has longed to escape from her seemingly quaint small town. When a local drug dealer attempts to assault her, she discovers she has the extraordinary ability to teleport. This newfound power confirms her conviction that she really was different from everybody else, but it now makes her the focus of those who want to control her.
"Steven Gould's sequel novel to Jumper, Impulse, fully realizes the dynamic potential of this amazing franchise and I'm excited to have the large canvas of YouTube to bring it to life," said Liman.
"We are excited to be in business with an iconic director and producer like Doug Liman and an incredible writer like Jeff Lieber. They are exceptional storytellers who have the ability to draw you into the lives of unconventional yet relatable characters. We look forward to bringing this pilot to life with our partners at Universal Cable Productions." said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, YouTube. "Sci-fi and action adventure are huge on YouTube, and our audience will be intrigued by the show's unexpected plot twists and turns in this studio-quality thriller."
"'Impulse' is a genre bending sci-fi thriller that taps into the teenage desire to disappear when life shows its dark side," said Dawn Olmstead, Executive Vice President, Development, Universal Cable Productions. "We are excited to be working with Doug Liman, Dave Bartis and Gene Klein at Hypnotic, and we love working with Susanne Daniels and the team at YouTube."
IMPULSE is the latest addition to Universal Cable Productions' digital content slate, which boasts critic and fan favorite "Difficult People" on Hulu, starring Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner; and "Harmonquest," a comedy epic, combining live action and animation from "Community" and "Rick and Morty" creator Dan Harmon, currently on Seeso, the subscription service from NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises.
In announcing the pilot, YouTube is building off of the success of the sci-fi genre on its platform to launch more ambitious content for its creators, including first-run series, movies and specials. YouTube Red empowers creators to evolve the level of their content and collaborate with top writers, producers and directors to create exciting new Original series and films.
YouTube Red is a paid membership that gives you an enhanced, uninterrupted experience across YouTube,YouTube Music, and YouTube Gaming. Members also get exclusive access to new Original series and movies from top YouTube creators. YouTube Red is currently available in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, with plans for additional international expansion throughout 2016.
About Universal Cable Productions:
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP's programming can be seen across various networks including the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama "Mr. Robot," "Colony," "Playing House," "Royal Pains" and "Suits" on USA Network; "The Magicians," "12 Monkeys," and "Killjoys" on Syfy; "Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce" on Bravo; "The Royals" on E!; and "Difficult People" on Hulu. UCP's content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning "Monk" as well as "Psych" and "Battlestar Galactica." Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.
About YouTube:
Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company.
|