Twitter is about to get The Social Network treatment—for the small screen. Lionsgate announced that it had optioned the rights to NYT writer Nick Bilton's book about the origin of Twitter, Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal. Bilton has signed on to write the screenplay, which is being geared toward a release as a television series on a yet to be named channel. Though Lionsgate has now optioned the rights, it doesn't mean that series will ever air—but they're at least going to give it a try, and there might be a pilot at some point. If you're a fan of how Facebook was portrayed in The Social Network, don't expect the same vibe from the Twitter series: Lionsgate is behind Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black, and Nashville—so we're sure they'll find a new way to breathe life into a story about the tech world. Bilton's book is a bestseller, and earned positive reviews. Fortune magazine called it, "A compelling read, more like espionage than a corporate history."
Here's an excerpt from the book:
Ev told Jack he had to “chill out” with the deluge of media he was doing. “It’s bad for the company,” Ev said. “It’s sending the wrong message.” Biz sat between them, watching like a spectator at a tennis match.
[via The Verge]
