Transmedia Playbook: How Graphic Novels Like ‘Traveling to Mars’ Get Turned Into Films, Games, and Podcasts

Hook: Why transmedia matters now — and why you’re missing out

Audience attention is fragmented across feeds, devices and formats. Executives and creators tell us the same pain: great IP sits in a drawer because teams don’t know how to convert a bestselling graphic novel into a durable franchise — not just a single film. In 2026, with agencies like WME signing transmedia studios such as The Orangery, the playbook for turning titles like Traveling to Mars into films, games and podcasts has matured into repeatable, revenue-driving steps. This article walks you through that step-by-step playbook — with practical checklists, timelines and real-world examples.

The state of transmedia in 2026 — quick context

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw three converging trends that change how IP is adapted:

• Streamers and studios prioritize pre-built audiences: They favor IPs that come with cross-platform fandom and measurable community engagement.
• Audio and serialized short-form exploded: Fiction podcasts and micro-episodes now act as low-cost pilots, proving concept and voice actors before big budgets are committed. See approaches like microdrama micro-episodes for inspiration.
• Playable worlds are premium marketing channels: Cloud gaming, narrative mobile titles and episodic console games are both revenue sources and audience-tuning tools.

Signaling this shift, Variety reported in January 2026 that The Orangery — the European transmedia IP studio behind hit graphic novels like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika — signed with WME to scale global adaptation and franchise strategy. That kind of representation is now a catalyst for coordinated, cross-disciplinary deals.

Transmedia Playbook: Step-by-step

Below is a tactical, ordered blueprint you can apply to any graphic novel IP. Each step includes practical actions and checks you should complete.

1. Audit & IP mapping (Weeks 0–4)

Goal: Understand what you own and what can be expanded.

• Create an IP matrix: List characters, timelines, artifacts, settings, recurring motifs and unresolved plotlines. This is your transmedia inventory.
• Tag franchise potential: Mark which elements are film-ready, which are game-native (e.g., collectables, factions), and which suit audio (dialogue-rich scenes, internal monologue).
• Rights audit: Confirm adaptation, merchandising and interactive rights. If writers or artists hold reversion clauses, note timelines and triggers.

Example: For Traveling to Mars, The Orangery’s audit would surface: the protagonist’s ship, faction politics, a canonical map of colonies and the Mars flora/fauna — all assets ideal for a game UI, AR map, and collectible merchandising.

2. Define the core narrative & franchise spine (Weeks 2–6)

Goal: Choose a single narrative spine that all adaptations orbit around.

• Pick the anchor format: Film (theatrical or streaming event), serialized TV, or a flagship game. This is your headline product.
• Write a 1-page franchise spine: High-level premise, three-act spine for film/season, and modular side arcs for spin-offs.
• Character archetype file: Create short bios and three key emotional beats per lead — useful for casting, voice direction, and AI tuning.

Example: The Orangery might choose a limited-series streaming season as the spine for Traveling to Mars, with a companion serialized audio drama that explores a secondary character’s backstory — a low-cost way to expand lore and test audience appetite.

3. Early attachments & representation (Weeks 4–12)

Goal: Reduce financing and distribution friction by attaching talent and agency partners early.

• Secure agency support: Firms like WME now function as transmedia facilitators, packaging film, game and audio rights together.
• Attach a director/showrunner or game studio: Even letters of intent from mid-tier creators significantly raise pre-sale value.
• Audio pilots: Record 2–3 episode audio pilot(s) with attached voice talent and music beds. Use this as a proof point for tone and world-building — and plan gear and location capture with recommended rigs in a field recorder comparison.

Actionable tip: Negotiate short-term, option-based attachments with clear reversion and renewal terms. That keeps flexibility for multi-studio deals.

4. Create the Transmedia Bible (Weeks 6–16)

Goal: Build the canonical guide governing story, look, rules, and licensing.

• Narrative rules: What can and cannot change across adaptations.
• Art & tone guide: Visual references, color palettes, UI concepts for games and AR, audio motifs.
• Licensing tiers: Define A (global film/streaming), B (games/console), C (merchandising, regional partners), D (fan creations policy).

Why it matters: A consistent bible reduces continuity errors and protects brand equity across partners and regions.

5. Parallel prototyping: audio + game MVPs (Months 2–9)

Goal: Validate voice, world and gameplay cheaply before committing big budgets.

• Audio drama MVP: 3-episode mini-series (15–25 minutes each) released on podcast platforms. Use serialized drops and post-episode Q&A to measure retention and lift.
• Game MVP: Narrative mobile or PC prototype (vertical slice) focusing on core mechanics and the world loop — not full production.
• Track engagement: Listen-through rates, DAU/MAU for prototypes, social mentions and earned media reactions.

Example: For Traveling to Mars, an audio mini-series about a side mission on a Martian colony validates the universe’s audio possibilities and can introduce musical motifs that migrate into the film score. For sound and on-location capture, consult the audio gear & accessory guides and portable recorder reviews like the one above.

6. Merchandising & product strategy (Months 3–12)

Goal: Build revenue streams and deepen fan rituals.

• Tiered product roadmap: Digital collectibles (utility-focused), print special editions, apparel, and high-end collectibles (statues, props).
• Retail & DTC split: Reserve limited editions for direct-to-consumer drops to capture higher margins and fan data.
• Collaborations: Lifestyle, fashion or tech collaborations expand reach (e.g., a capsule collection themed to Sweet Paprika or makeup partnerships inspired by the art — see graphic-novel-inspired looks).

Actionable pricing model: Combo of high-margin limited runs ($150–$1,000) and mass-market SKUs ($20–$60). Reserve 10–15% of print runs for exclusive convention drops to create scarcity and PR moments.

7. Financing & deal structuring (Months 6–18)

Goal: Layer funding sources to reduce single-point risk and keep IP control.

• Stack financing: Pre-sales to streamers, co-productions, brand partnerships, and IP-backed loans.
• Game splits: Pursue co-development deals that include milestone payments and revenue share rather than full buyouts to keep residuals.
• Merchandising negotiations: Preserve a creator-controlled merchandising window for premium products (first 18 months) before wider retail licensing.

Example: The Orangery’s WME deal likely accelerates pre-sales and international packaging for Traveling to Mars, making a multi-window launch feasible.

8. Marketing & community engineering (Months 3–24)

Goal: Build measurable fandom before and during launches.

• Launch a transmedia calendar: Stagger releases to sustain attention: audio MVP → trailer → game beta → film/season premiere → merchandise drops.
• Community-first content: BTS, artist sketch reveals, creator livestreams, and “world lore” deep dives.
• Data loops: Feed fan behavior back to creative teams. If a side character’s audio episodes outperform others, promote them into future scripts.

Actionable KPI set: Podcast downloads per episode, game retention (D1/D7/D28), pre-orders for merch, trailer view-to-watch-time ratios, social sentiment index. For short-form and thumbnail strategies, see guidance on fan engagement with short-form video.

9. Release sequencing: stagger vs simultaneous (Decision point)

Goal: Choose the cadence that maximizes lifetime value.

• Staggered model: Use audio and games as lead generators months before the film/series. Best when building word-of-mouth slowly.
• Simultaneous window: Drop multiple formats close together (game launch + premiere + merch) for a high-visibility franchise kickoff. Works well when you have large marketing budgets.

Practical rule: If you lack a massive ad spend, staggered releases reduce risk and create multiple earned media peaks.

10. Ongoing governance & continuity (Ongoing)

Goal: Keep the franchise cohesive as it scales.

• Editorial council: 3–5 people (creator, showrunner, lead game designer, IP manager) approve major changes.
• Canonical registry: Maintain a version-controlled asset library with timestamps and approved use cases.
• Fan-creation policy: Clear guidelines that encourage fan art and mods while protecting commercial rights.

Special considerations: Adult vs family IPs — two models

Not every adaptation path is equal. Use the IP’s tone to guide format choices.

• Family-friendly/speculative sci‑fi (Traveling to Mars): Wide theatrical or streamer push, toys and collectibles, narrative-driven games for teens and adults, companion child-friendly AR experiences for museums and education partnerships.
• Adult/erotic (Sweet Paprika): Boutique streaming, mature-rated narrative games or visual novels, fashion and lifestyle merch, targeted podcast series exploring themes with host-led commentary and dramatized scenes.

Legal & IP traps to avoid

• Over-assigning rights: Don’t grant perpetual global merch + game rights without escalation clauses or revenue share.
• Unclear moral clauses: Be explicit on content zones that could affect brand partnerships.
• Talent buyouts: If you buy out actors/creators for lower upfronts, factor residuals or backend bonuses tied to cross-platform milestones.

Measurement: What success looks like in 2026

Your success dashboard should be cross-platform and tied to long-term franchise health:

• Engagement velocity: How quickly new fans move from one vertical (podcast listener) to another (game player) — target 15–25% cross-over in the first six months.
• Monetization mix: Healthy franchises in 2026 target 40–60% from content (streaming/games), 20–30% from merchandising, and the remainder from licensing/partnerships.
• Retention-based green flags: Podcast completion rates >55% and game D7 >20% indicate sticky world-building.

Practical timeline: 12–24 month sample

1. Months 0–3: IP audit, assemble bible, audio pilot recording.
2. Months 3–6: Attach key talent, prototype game vertical slice, begin merchandise design.
3. Months 6–12: Secure financing (pre-sales/co-pros), launch audio mini-series, beta game test, announce streaming partner.
4. Months 12–18: Full production on anchor format, global marketing ramp, premium merch drops.
5. Months 18–24: Premiere/launch, live ops for game, seasonal content roadmap for podcasts and merch.

Budget guidance (very rough)

Budgets vary widely, but plan for layered spends when you run a full transmedia launch:

• Audio pilot & first season (3–6 eps): $50k–$300k depending on talent and production values.
• Mobile/indie game vertical slice: $100k–$500k.
• Streaming limited series (6–8 episodes): $3M–$40M+ depending on scale and cast.
• Merchandising design and initial runs: $50k–$500k.

Case highlights: How The Orangery’s strategy exemplifies this playbook

The Orangery’s recent partnership with WME is exactly the kind of move that streamlines the earlier steps: representation accelerates talent attachments, global packaging and cross-market merchandising. For Traveling to Mars they can:

• Use an audio pilot to prove tone and attach a recognizable lead voice before buyers commit.
• License a narrative mobile game to a mid-tier studio with milestone payments and revenue share to keep creative control; plan for live-ops and communications (see guidance on what devs should tell players when planning delists).
• Release a deluxe graphic-novel box set and limited-run prop replicas to fund development while generating fan loyalty — follow a checklist for listing high-value culture items to protect margins and provenance: what to ask before listing high-value culture.

For Sweet Paprika, The Orangery can lean into boutique streaming and lifestyle merchandising to capture high-margin adult audiences, pairing episodic audio commentary with curated fashion drops.

“Signing with WME signals the maturity of transmedia studios: representation now means packaging IP across film, audio, games and merchandise — not just selling a single format.” — industry paraphrase based on 2026 reporting

Actionable checklist — do this now

• Complete an IP matrix and Transmedia Bible within 6 weeks.
• Produce a 3-episode audio MVP in 3 months to test tone and onboarding — plan recording & field capture using the field recorder guide above.
• Build a game vertical slice to attract a partner studio and demonstrate mechanics.
• Negotiate option windows (12–18 months) for film/TV rights, reserving merchandising and games for bundled deals.
• Launch a DTC merch strategy with a limited edition to capture first-party data; consider hybrid pop-up tactics and local market timing recommended in night market field reports and hybrid NFT pop-up playbooks.

Final thoughts: Why discipline wins

Transmedia is not random cross-posting. In 2026, success requires a disciplined spine, early prototyping, and layered financing. Studios like The Orangery, backed by major representation, show that methodical, audience-first scaling turns graphic novels into long-lived franchises. The opportunities are wider and faster now — but only if you plan for coherence, legal clarity and modular storytelling.

Call to action

Ready to turn your graphic novel into a multi-format franchise? Download our one-page Transmedia Launch Checklist, or contact a transmedia strategist to run an IP audit. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that map 2026 adaptation trends to practical, studio-ready tactics.

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