Microdrama platform ReelShort has adapted New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy‘s dark academia novel “Things I Wanted to Say” as an original vertical series.
The show marks the first screen outing for the Lancaster Prep franchise, an eight-book series that has attracted a substantial following on BookTok. A trailer has been released.
The series centers on Whit Lancaster, played by Pablo Kaestli, and Summer Savage, played by Kirby Elwood, who become entangled in a volatile dynamic of power and desire. Murphy’s source novel has accumulated more than 14,000 reviews on Amazon since its publication.
“Watching Whit and Summer’s story come to life in a new format has been exciting, and I’m grateful that both longtime readers and new audiences will have the opportunity to experience these characters in a different way,” Murphy said.
ReelShort is operated by Crazy Maple Studio, a global content and distribution company founded in San Francisco in 2017 with offices across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and China. The company was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024.
Crazy Maple Studio founder and CEO Joey Jia has pushed back against assumptions about what the microdrama format can sustain. “The biggest misconception is that microdrama is limited to romance, low production values or a one-time-wonder project,” Jia told Variety at the APOS conference last week.
“Vertical storytelling will be the most important channel for future IP,” Jia added.
Meanwhile ReelShort is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with a new strategic partnership with Philippine telecommunications giant Globe. The pact comes just two months after ReelShort launched its first major Southeast Asian partnership with Thailand’s AIS, as the company moves to build a broader regional presence through telecom and content collaborations.
“Things I Wanted to Say” will be available exclusively on ReelShort beginning June 30.