VIZ Media, Gotham Group Partner on Original IP Adaptations
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- VIZ Media has partnered with The Gotham Group to develop film and TV adaptations drawn from its original IP, specifically the VIZ Originals graphic novel line and the RWBY franchise.
- The Gotham Group — whose credits include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Maze Runner franchise, and the Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere — will identify and package the projects.
- RWBY, created by the late Monty Oum, has amassed more than 350 million views globally since its 2013 debut and expanded into publishing, video games, and spinoffs including RWBY: Ice Queendom and two Justice League x RWBY crossover films.
- RWBY is widely recognized as the first anime series produced in the United States and the first Western-produced anime to be dubbed and distributed in Japan.
- VIZ Media President and CEO Brad Woods confirmed Volume 10 is officially underway and described the partnership as the next step in building RWBY into a global franchise across every medium.
- VIZ Originals features works from creators including Rem & Bikkuri (Devil's Candy), Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl), Eisner nominee Sam Sattin (Lynx), and Acky Bright (Galaxic Baseball League).
Why it matters: The deal gives Gotham Group — proven at translating genre IP via Percy Jackson and the Maze Runner franchise — direct access to package VIZ's original IP library, while VIZ gains a high-profile development partner as RWBY's Volume 10 ramps up and the 350-million-view franchise pursues expansion into live-action film and TV.
