Corus Entertainment’s Waterside Studios announces the start of production for its highly anticipated new series Geek Girl (10×30), based on the best-selling novels by Holly Smale.
Production is now underway in the UK with co-producers RubyRock Pictures and Aircraft Pictures and will continue in Canada later this summer. Slated to premiere on YTV and STACKTV in Canada and worldwide on Netflix next year, the highly anticipated series will be distributed globally by Nelvana thereafter.
“As Corus continues to build a content powerhouse, Geek Girl brings together Corus’ incredible collection of content and media assets”, said Colin Bohm, EVP Content and Corporate Strategy, Corus Entertainment. “From our YTV and STACKTV platforms, to our investment in Aircraft Pictures and launch of Waterside Studios, and Nelvana distributing the series globally, we have leveraged our full operation to bring Geek Girl to audiences worldwide”.
Geek Girl is the story of awkward teenager Harriet Manners whose life is upended when she is discovered as a model, whisking her from high school to high fashion. The beloved books are loosely based on Holly’s own experience. When, in January 2021, Holly was later diagnosed as autistic she realized her beloved main character, Harriet Manners, must be autistic too.
“For the last decade it’s been my dream to see Geek Girl brought to life on screen”, said Holly Smale, author of the Geek Girl book series. “I’m so excited to work with Waterside Studios; the talent, vision and enthusiasm the entire team is bringing to my story is incredible, and I can’t wait for the whole world to meet Harriet Manners on Netflix and YTV“.
The cast of Geek Girl is led by Emily Carey (House of the Dragon, Get Even, Wonder Woman) as Harriet Manners. The all-star cast also includes Sarah Parish as Jude Paignton (Industry, Stay Close), Emmanuel Imani (Riches, The Wheel Of Time) as Wilbur Evans, Liam Woodrum (Love In Zion National) as Nick Park, Zac Looker (A Kind of Spark) as Toby Pilgrim, Tim Downie (Outlander, Paddington) as Richard Manners, Jemima Rooper (Flowers in the Attic: The Origin) as Annabel Manners, Daisy Jelley (London Kills) as Poppy Hepple-Cartwright and introducing Rochelle Harrington as Natalie Grey.
The screen adaptation was written by lead writer Jess Ruston, Sameera Steward, Holly Smale and Sarah Morgan. The series is directed by Declan O’Dwyer (Miss Scarlet & The Duke, Flowers In The Attic: The Origin, Merlin). The show is creatively produced by Zoë Rocha for RubyRock Pictures and by Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen for Aircraft Pictures.
“Holly Smale has written heart-warming and laugh-out-loud coming-of-age stories that resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider”, said Jeff Norton, Head of Waterside Studios, and Executive Producer. “It’s been a true honour to develop these books for the screen and we couldn’t be happier to partner with both Corus’ own YTV and Netflix to bring Holly’s story to the screen together with top production companies RubyRock Pictures and Aircraft Pictures”.
“The books are an incredible read – there’s so much heart in the story and characters”, added Zoë Rocha, Founder of RubyRock Pictures. “Seeing the TV series come to life first in the writers’ room and now on set, I know that the show is going to be very special with all that emotional resonance depicted on screen. For anyone who knows the twists and turns of growing up, this is going to speak to you”.
The Geek Girl series comprises six novels, two novellas and one World Book Day book, all of which are published by HarperCollins UK and translated into 28 languages. Geek Girl was originally developed with the assistance of the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund.
Waterside Studios joins forces with Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, to bring a slate of live-action programming into Corus’ overall content offering for global audiences. The new live-action series has been pre-sold to Netflix worldwide, and Nelvana has been appointed to distribute Geek Girl globally.
