Walton Media to Adapt 'Handyman of West Texas' Podcast
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- Johnathan Walton Media signed a deal with The Hideaway Entertainment to adapt the true‑crime podcast “The Handyman of West Texas” for screen.
- The Handyman of West Texas is a six‑episode podcast that debuted in January, recounting the story of “Mickey,” a male sex worker in Midland, Texas who poses as a handyman for oil executives and also works in fracking.
- Ryan Cassells of The Hideaway said the podcast’s global audience is “hooked and craving more,” and sees an opportunity to turn the story into a “unique, ambitious and tastefully experiential” visual experience.
- Johnathan Walton and his producing partner Evan Goldstein will serve as executive producers, alongside Jonathan Gray and Jean‑Luc De Fanti, while the format remains undecided between a feature film and a series.
- The Hideaway is currently in post‑production on Ron Howard’s feature “Alone at Dawn,” starring Anne Hathaway and Adam Driver, for Amazon MGM Studios and Imagine Entertainment, with the deal represented by Christian Simonds of Eisner.
Why it matters: Walton’s deal gives his podcast a visual outlet, potentially widening its global audience and adding a high‑profile property to The Hideaway’s slate, while leveraging the company’s experience on major studio projects like Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ for possible distribution through Amazon MGM Studios and Imagine Entertainment.
