StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures to adapt Lottie Brooks book series for TV
StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a TV adaptation of Katie Kirby's Lottie Brooks books, with Josie Long and Holly Phillips adapting. The nine-book series has sold more than 3 million copies.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a live-action television adaptation of Katie Kirby's bestselling The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks book series. The Hollywood ReporterLC “StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a live-action television adaptation of Katie Kirby’s bestselling The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks book series.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “is being given the TV adaptation treatment by Studiocanal” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Josie Long, whose credits include Skins, and Holly Phillips, whose credits include The Athena, are adapting the books for television; The Hollywood Reporter adds that Phillips also wrote Get Even and Dance Academy and is a playwright. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Josie Long, whose credits include Skins, and playwright and screenwriter Holly Phillips, whose credits include The Athena, Get Even and Dance Academy, are adapting the books for television.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “Comic Josie Long (Skins) and Holly Phillips (The Athena) are adapting for TV.” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2The books follow Lottie, aged 11 and three-quarters, as she navigates the awkwardness of growing up; The Hollywood Reporter says the series centres on her transition to secondary school, while Deadline says she believes a diary and a plan for total re-invention will make everything go well. The Hollywood ReporterLC “follows the misadventures of the titular 11-and-three-quarters-year-old protagonist as she navigates the awkward transition to secondary school” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “armed with her diary and a plan for total re-invention, everything will go great and not be embarrassing at all” Read at Deadline ↗
Mixed · 2Deadpan, the company behind Moone Boy and Video Nasty, describes the books as a "pre-teen Bridget Jones"; The Hollywood Reporter attributes the phrase to producer Ailish McElmeel. The Hollywood ReporterLC “McElmeel describes the series as a “pre-teen Bridget Jones.”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “Deadpan Pictures, which ahs dubbed the books the “pre-teen Bridget Jones.”” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2The nine-book series, published by Puffin, has sold more than 3 million copies; Hollywood Reporter says it has been translated into more than 30 languages, while Deadline says it has been published in 205 countries. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Published by Puffin, the nine books of the Lottie Brooks series have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “The nine books in the series have sold 3 million copies and been published in 205 countries.” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1Ailish McElmeel is producing for Deadpan; M-K Kennedy and Paul Gilbert oversee the project for StudioCanal, with Sarah Reese Geffroy overseeing for StudioCanal Stories, the in-house book-to-screen label that negotiated the rights. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Ailish McElmeel is producing for Deadpan Pictures, the company behind Moone Boy and Video Nasty.”“StudioCanal Stories negotiated the rights to the book series.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Mixed · 2StudioCanal Kids & Family will handle worldwide merchandising and licensing, which Deadline presents as a sign of the studio's newly vertically integrated structure. DeadlineN “Demonstrating the newly-vertically-integrated natur of Studiocanal” Read at Deadline ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “StudioCanal Kids & Family will handle worldwide merchandising and licensing.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Centre · 1M-K Kennedy, StudioCanal's Worldwide Television managing director, said Lottie Brooks "turns the chaos of adolescence into pure comedy gold" and is an example of the company's commitment to developing family-friendly franchises from literary properties. DeadlineN “Lottie Brooks turns the chaos of adolescence into pure comedy gold.”“our commitment to developing family friendly franchises from beloved literary properties” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2StudioCanal Stories was set up in 2024; the studio's other literary adaptations include Paddington, the BBC's War of the Worlds and the upcoming How to Stop Time with Benedict Cumberbatch, while Deadline notes its kids' slate includes Toto the Ninja Cat and Pippi Longstocking with Heyday. The Hollywood ReporterLC “the label the European studio set up in 2024 to focus on adapting literary properties across film and television” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “Studiocanal is also adapting Dermot O’Leary’s Toto the Ninja Cat and Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking with Heyday.” Read at Deadline ↗
Centre · 1Deadline compares the books to Adrian Mole, which the BBC is currently reinventing, and says Kirby is represented by Chloe Seager at the Madeleine Milburn agency, with the deal negotiated by Hannah Ladds. DeadlineN “They have shades of Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend’s hit 1980s book series that is currently being reinvented by the BBC.”“Kirby is represented by Chloe Seager at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.” Read at Deadline ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Trade-news report on the development, stressing the production team and StudioCanal Stories' book-to-screen strategy.
- Emphasis
- Credits of the creative team, executives overseeing the project, the label's 2024 launch and the studio's literary adaptation record.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Kennedy's quote, the Adrian Mole comparison or the agency details.
- Charged language
- “pre-teen Bridget Jones”
- For example
-
“The television project marks another book-to-screen development for StudioCanal Stories” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Leads on the 'pre-teen Bridget Jones' tagline and the book's appeal, with a studio-strategy angle.
- Emphasis
- Plot premise, the studio's vertical integration, Kennedy's quote, the Adrian Mole comparison and sales figures.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not name McElmeel or the other executives, or say the series is live-action.
- Charged language
- “pre-teen Bridget Jones”“pure comedy gold”
- For example
-
“Demonstrating the newly-vertically-integrated natur of Studiocanal” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- StudioCanal and Deadpan Pictures are developing a TV adaptation of Katie Kirby's Lottie Brooks books.
- Josie Long and Holly Phillips are adapting the books.
- The nine-book series has sold more than 3 million copies.
- The books are described as a 'pre-teen Bridget Jones'.
- StudioCanal Kids & Family will handle merchandising and licensing.
Where accounts differ
-
Reach of the series
- Left
- The Hollywood Reporter says the books have been translated into more than 30 languages.
- Centre
- Deadline says they have been published in 205 countries.
Studiocanal organisation
Presents Lottie Brooks as part of its push to develop family-friendly franchises from literary properties through StudioCanal Stories.
“Lottie is a wonderful example of our commitment to developing family friendly franchises from beloved literary properties.” — Deadline
Deadpan Pictures organisation
Describes the series as a 'pre-teen Bridget Jones' and is producing through Ailish McElmeel.
“McElmeel describes the series as a “pre-teen Bridget Jones.”” — The Hollywood Reporter
Left1 article
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StudioCanal, Deadpan Pictures Adapting ‘Lottie Brooks’ Book Series
Neutral Straightforward deal report focused on credits, personnel and the studio's literary adaptation slate.
Centre1 article
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Studiocanal Adapting ‘The Extremely Embarrassing Life Of Lottie Brooks’ For TV
Neutral Industry news item combining premise, studio executive quote and business context.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 6 Oct 09:00 First The Hollywood ReporterLC StudioCanal, Deadpan Pictures Adapting ‘Lottie Brooks’ Book Series
- 6 Oct 09:00 First DeadlineN Studiocanal Adapting ‘The Extremely Embarrassing Life Of Lottie Brooks’ For TV
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.