Twitter story to be told on television screens

Graeme Parton +

A book which details the birth of social media platform Twitter will be turned into a television series, it has emerged.

According to reports from the BBC, the rights to the book, ‘Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship and Betrayal’, have been acquired by US firm Lionsgate TV. It is thought that the author, Nick Bilton, will be writing and producing the series.

The book tells the story of four friends who came together to create a hugely popular social platform. In a statement, Lionsgate said that Hatching Twitter – which was listed among the New York Times’ bestsellers – reveals the battles, betrayals and relationships while offering insight into the inner workings of Twitter.

The production company’s chairman, Kevin Briggs, said:

“Twitter has transformed almost every aspect of our lives from politics to business to friendship and I can’t think of a more compelling story to adapt for television right now.

“Nick’s book has all the elements of a great drama with its complex characters, high-stakes power struggles and betrayed friendships.”

In the last few years, Lionsgate’s film team has made a number of successful adaptations of books, including Twilight and the Hunger Games. Collectively, its releases have grossed in excess of £2.4 billion across worldwide box offices.

The company also created the popular series ‘Orange is the New Black’. Starring Taylor Schilling, it has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Speaking about the adaptation, original author Nick Bilton said:

“I am thrilled to work with Allison Shearmur [executive producer] and Lionsgate to adapt my book about the power, betrayal and billions of dollars that swirl through Silicon Valley.”

The story of Facebook was told in film format in 2010, in the David Fincher-produced ‘The Social Network’, which starred Jesse Eisenberg as the company’s founder Mark Zuckerberg.