Streamers see gains from spin-offs of successful movies, shows
Prime Video through a series featuring Sidharth Malhotra titled Indian Police Force. Disney+ Hotstar has unveiled a show inspired by the Commando film series, besides a prequel to popular show Anupamaa titled Namaste America. ZEE5, too, has introduced a series inspired by The Kashmir Files.
The trend is not limited to India. Prime Video, for instance, has streamed spin-offs, or prequels of film series such as Taken and Jack Reacher. Entertainment industry experts said there is a dedicated audience for such content, and leveraging existing brand and its premise makes it simpler to capture attention.
“Every successful film or TV show is a brand in itself. Because success rate is low on digital or any platform, it is a good idea to woo audiences or have them come sample the service through these integrations," said Rajan Shahi, who owns television production house Director’s Kut Productions. The original TV show Anupamaa, produced by Shahi’s firm, did well on the Hind GEC (general entertainment channel) owned by Star network as well as on its streaming platform, to ensure a ready audience for the show on digital, Shahi added.
“While the spin-off may follow a different tempo or plot points, the core will remain the same, and help capitalize on the brand for better sampling." Though plenty of content is available across platforms, only a few shows have the ability to trigger instant recall, he said. Industry experts said trans-media storytelling is here to stay and is the need of the hour. “The appeal of OTT spin-offs inspired from theatricals, TV, and even gaming projects lies in the ability to extend the narrative universe of the original, allowing exploration of characters, storylines and themes in greater depth to offer
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