YouTube ordered a full season of Lionsgate´s drama series Step Up, based on the film franchise that grossed $650 million at the global box office. Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot and Meredith Milton, all producers of the original Step Up films, will executive produce the series, along with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum, who both co-starred in the original Step Up film.The series will begin production later this year and will debut exclusively as the first original scripted series on YouTube Red in 2017. The story is based on the franchise Step Up (with 5 movies), a music filled drama about dancers in a contemporary performing arts school. “I’ve been a fan of the Step Up movies for years and always believed the films would translate into an awesome original series,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of Original Content at YouTube. “We know that dance is a hugely successful global category on YouTube, so I’m excited to have a series rooted in such an enormously popular genre on our platform.”Kevin Beggs, Chairman of Lionsgate Television Group added: “Step Up is an incredible property with the global appeal to launch both a blockbuster film franchise and an exhilarating, high-energy series. After five exciting and successful movies, we’re proud to partner with YouTube Red, a major new force on the programming landscape, to adapt the films into an adrenaline-filled original drama series driven by its non-stop energy, spectacular dancing and A-list creative talent.”
