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European IP on the Rise: Why Hollywood Is Hunting Projects Like ‘Sweet Paprika’

UUnknown

2026-02-17

8 min read

Why Hollywood is hunting European comic IP like Sweet Paprika — a deep analysis of agency deals, streaming trends, and transmedia strategies.

Hook: Why you should care — faster access to verified, diverse stories

Feeling overwhelmed by US-centric headlines and slow discovery of fresh global stories? That’s the pain point fueling a fast-moving shift in entertainment: major Hollywood agencies and studios are actively hunting for European IP — especially comics and graphic novels — because they deliver ready-made, culturally distinct worlds that global audiences now crave. The Jan. 16, 2026 signing of Italy-based transmedia studio The Orangery by WME is the clearest sign yet that Hollywood is rewriting its scouting playbook.

Top-line: The moment — WME signs The Orangery

In mid-January 2026 Variety reported that talent powerhouse WME signed The Orangery, the Turin-founded transmedia IP studio behind graphic novel hits like Traveling to Mars and the adult-romance sensation Sweet Paprika. This isn’t an isolated PR move; it’s emblematic of a broader pattern: agencies and studios are packaging and snapping up European comic IP to fast-track global development across film, streaming, animation, and games.

"WME has signed recently formed European transmedia outfit The Orangery, which holds the rights to strong IP in the graphic novel and comic book sphere such as hit sci‑fi series 'Traveling to Mars' and the steamy 'Sweet Paprika.'" — Variety, Jan 16, 2026

Why this matters now: three immediate audience and industry pain points solved

Speed to market: Comics are prebuilt mythologies. They reduce development time by offering characters, arcs, and visual language.
Verified audience data: European comics come with track records — sales, festivals, social buzz — that lower adaptation risk compared to original screenplays.
Demand for diverse voices: Global streaming expansion in 2025–2026 pushed platforms to localize and diversify slates; European IP brings authentic regional perspectives attractive to both local subscribers and global audiences.

What's behind the surge — structural and cultural drivers

1. Streaming globalization and localization

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw renewed emphasis on regional rollouts and localized content strategies. Platforms that pushed deeper into Europe — and those recalibrating business after mergers and sales — needed premium, native IP. This accelerated interest in comics and graphic novels, which map naturally to episodic and franchise formats.

2. Transmedia-ready story worlds

European comics are increasingly produced with transmedia in mind. Studios like The Orangery don't just publish — they build bibles, character treatments, and franchise roadmaps that make IP attractive to agencies like WME. Those packaging efforts convert page-to-screen friction into a sellable pitch.

3. Financial and regulatory tailwinds

European tax incentives, co-production treaties, and film funds continued to expand in 2025 and into 2026, making adaptations economically appealing. For Hollywood buyers, European production can reduce costs and open subsidy pools — a strategic advantage at a time when streamers scrutinize per-title ROI.

4. Audience appetite for texture and diversity

Global audiences have shown they will embrace non‑American, non‑English content when it delivers specific local texture or bold originality. From Nordic noir to South Korean thrillers, the appetite is proven. European comics offer new tonal mixes — from erotic rom-coms like Sweet Paprika to offbeat sci-fi like Traveling to Mars — that stand out in crowded catalogs.

Case study: The Orangery, Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika

The Orangery’s model crystallizes the trend. Founded in Turin by Davide G.G. Caci, the studio treats graphic novels as anchor IP and builds multi-format strategies around them. Traveling to Mars (sci‑fi serial) and Sweet Paprika (adult romance/erotic drama) are examples of how contrasting genres can both be attractive to Hollywood: one offers high-concept spectacle; the other offers intimate, character-driven hooks that drive subscriptions and social conversation.

WME’s signing signals agency-level validation: agencies are no longer just representing talent — they’re representing packaged IP entities that can feed both film and TV slates as well as gaming and merchandising pipelines.

What this signals for Hollywood: three shifts in development and dealmaking

From concept buys to world buys: Studios will increasingly buy IP portfolios and transmedia rights, not just single-issue options. That makes European IP studios prime targets.
Adaptation teams must include origin-country creatives: To preserve authenticity and retain fan loyalty, expect more showrunning and writing room hires from the IP's home country.
Adult and genre hybrids gain legitimacy: Properties that mix eroticism, queer storytelling, or genre experimentation — long marginalized in Anglo-American studio calculations — are now being greenlit because they deliver niche but intensely loyal audiences and social visibility.

Data points and signals to watch (2026)

Agency representation of European IPs — then matched to studios — will increase in 2026; track WME, CAA, UTA deal announcements.
Streaming platforms will continue regional commissioning — look for more Italy, Spain, France co-productions on 2026 release slates.
Festival circuits (Cannes, Berlinale, Angoulême) will continue to serve as scouting grounds; acquisitions teams are now attending comics festivals as much as film markets. If you’re scouting teams at festivals, consider advanced micro-event recruiting approaches (micro-event recruitment).

Practical advice: how creators, agents, and studios should act now

For European creators and IP owners

Package for transmedia: Build a short franchise bible: 3–5 season arcs, character sheets, tone samples, visual references, and a concise merch/gaming roadmap. Use creator-to-industry pitching templates for structure (creator pitching template).
Document audience proof: Sales figures, social metrics, and festival awards demonstrate traction. Prepare a one‑page metrics sheet for pitches and tie it to your CRM or analytics stack (CRM integration).
Invest in translations and accessibility: Provide English-language scripts or treatments and high-quality translations early — this removes friction for international buyers. Tools and personalization strategies for indie publishers can speed discovery (AI-powered discovery).
Seek agency partners who understand transmedia: Traditional literary agents can help, but transmedia-savvy representation (agencies or boutique IP shops) adds value in packaging multi-rights deals.

For Hollywood executives and development teams

Hire cultural consultants and origin-region showrunners: Authenticity protects brand equity and avoids costly reworks post-greenlight.
Negotiate multi-territory co-productions: Mixed financing (US studio + EU tax credits + local broadcaster) reduces risk and builds European market buy-in.
Measure beyond opening-week viewership: Consider social resonance and subscription retention when evaluating adaptation performance.

For agents and IP scouts

Expand scouting to comic festivals and niche publishers: Angoulême, Lucca Comics, and smaller regional fairs are ripe for discovery.
Leverage data analytics: Combine sales data with social listening to detect culturally resonant IP early.

Red flags and pitfalls to avoid

Not all European comics will translate. Beware of three common mistakes:

Fetishizing “foreignness”: Treating a property as exotic marketing gimmick without honoring context leads to backlash.
Flattening nuance for mass appeal: Over-sanitizing culturally specific elements can alienate core fans; adapt, don’t erase.
Ignoring scale mismatches: Some comics thrive as limited series or indie films; forcing franchise treatment can damage both the IP and investor returns.

How this feeds broader industry priorities in 2026

The WME–Orangery deal feeds several 2026-level trends: the push for global storytelling that’s still commercially viable; the maturation of transmedia studios that treat comics as strategic IP; and the rising corporate appetite for curated diversity — not as a checkbox but as differentiated content that drives discovery and retention. The industry is learning that authentic, regionally-rooted IP can be both critically acclaimed and commercially fruitful.

Industry signals — from awards honoring international auteurs to guild recognitions for globally-minded writers — show that talent pipelines are diversifying. Celebrations of filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro and honors for writers with international perspectives underscore a recalibration of what mainstream prestige looks like in 2026.

Predictions: What to expect through 2028

More agency‑IP marriages: Expect additional transmedia ateliers across Europe to seek representation with major agencies by late 2026–2027.
Increased co-pro originals: By 2027 more streaming originals will be credited as US-EU co-productions, using European IP as anchor properties.
Cross-genre experimentation: Erotic-romance, regionally inflected sci‑fi, and hybrid comedies from European comics will find mainstream windows, expanding audience definitions.
New monetization models: Some IP studios will retain interactive rights (games, AR experiences) and seek equity deals rather than one-off option payments — watch blockchain and tokenized-rights experiments for new revenue plays (tokenization experiments).

Quick checklist: How to spot an adaptation-ready European comic IP

Has a clear, scalable protagonist and three-season arc.
Shows measurable audience engagement (sales, online fandom, fanart, cosplay).
Contains visual set pieces translatable to screen (distinctive world design).
Includes cultural specificity that adds something unique to a global slate.

Final analysis: What Sweet Paprika and Traveling to Mars really represent

At surface level, the success of Sweet Paprika (a steamy, adult-leaning romance) and Traveling to Mars (high-concept sci-fi) shows genre breadth. At strategic level, they show Hollywood what European comics have quietly perfected: the ability to combine local voice with serial-ready plotting. That makes them not just adaptation fodder but durable franchise assets. The WME deal is a watershed: it signals that agencies are now architects of cross-border cultural exchange, packaging and shepherding European IP into global pipelines.

Actionable takeaways

Creators: Package your IP for transmedia early. Build a short, visual bible and prepare clear metrics — and use proven pitching templates to cut friction (creator pitching template).
Studios: Source authenticity by involving origin-country creatives in key creative roles.
Agents and scouts: Treat European comics festivals as primary markets and deploy analytics for early detection.
Audiences: Seek and support subtitled and dubbed content — your viewing choices shape commissioning.

Call to action

If you’re a creator with a European comic that could be the next Sweet Paprika or Traveling to Mars, start packaging for transmedia now: create a 5‑page bible, document audience proof, and reach out to transmedia-savvy agents. If you’re an industry professional, track agency signings like WME’s and attend comics markets where the next wave of global storytelling is already being written. Want a concise checklist, pitch template, or list of festivals and funding sources? Subscribe to our newsletter for a downloadable toolkit that puts you in the deal flow.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.