PRESS RELEASES
February 24, 2022

AIRCRAFT PICTURES AND WEXWORKS MEDIA TO PRODUCE NEW SCRIPTED SERIES BASED ON THE HIT BOOKS THE POPULARITY PAPERS

BBC Studios to Distribute Internationally 

TORONTO – Feb. 24, 2022 – Aircraft Pictures, the Academy Award® and Emmy Award®-nominated production company, and Emmy Award®-nominated production company WexWorks Media today announced they have greenlit a new single-camera, live-action comedy series based on author Amy Ignatow’s award-winning middle-grade book series, The Popularity Papers. Produced with financial participation from the Canada Film Fund, the 26 x 30-minute series will be broadcast in Canada on YTV, with BBC Studios co-funding and handling international distribution rights. Shooting is set to commence in Spring 2022. 

The Popularity Papers is executive produced by Showrunner Vivian Lin (Holly Hobbie, Hudson & Rex, Killjoys) and co-created for television by Lin and Amanda Brook Perrin (The Croods: Family Tree, Fast Layne, Kim’s Convenience). Matthew Wexler of WexWorks Media will Executive Produce, along with Amelia Johnson at BBC Studios together with Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen of Aircraft Pictures.    

“From the moment I read Amy Ignatow’s series of books I was determined to share the timeless and hilarious world she had created with audiences everywhere,” said Matthew Wexler, President of WexWorks Media. “I’m thrilled to be working with Aircraft Pictures again to bring these stories to life.”  

The Popularity Papers is a heartfelt, funny and original story that’s all about being your authentic self and staying true to your values,” said Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, Co-Founders of Aircraft Pictures. “Under Vivian’s leadership, and with the support of incredible partners WexWorks Media, BBC Studios and YTV, our aim is to deliver a series that will have kids and their families laughing together.”  

“Funny, quirky, and aspirational, yet completely relatable, BBC Studios are delighted to be working in creative partnership with the stellar production team at Aircraft Pictures and WexWorks Media,” said Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children’s Content, BBC Studios.    

“This premium, live-action, comedy series is a globally relevant IP that truly captures the zeitgeist of life as a child today as they learn through friendship and discover what really matters in their journey towards young adulthood,” said Amelia Johnson, Commercial Manager of Children’s Content, BBC Studios.  

The original book series, for which the first installment was selected as a top-ten title of 2011 by the American Library Association’s Rainbow Project and won the 2010 Gold Award from the National Parenting Publications Association, tells the story of two best friends, Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, who are on a mission to crack the popularity code and dismantle this crazy social construct for middle-schoolers everywhere. Using the scientific method, the girls conduct social experiments on their peers with hilarious results. 

Earlier this month, it was announced that Canadian media and content company Corus Entertainment Inc. made a milestone investment becoming a majority stakeholder in Aircraft Pictures.  

About Aircraft Pictures 

Based in Toronto with an office in Los Angeles, Aircraft Pictures was founded by Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen to create high quality, scripted content for kids, families, and young adults. Recent projects include the Hulu Original series Holly Hobbie; the animated series Summer Memories; the multi-award winning animated feature film The Breadwinner; three television movies based on the Bruno & Boots book series by Canadian young adult fiction icon Gordon Korman; the supernatural comedy series Todd & The Book of Pure Evil and the Kidscreen Award-winning single-camera comedy Raising Expectations created by Tom Saunders (Arrested Development) and starring Jason Priestley and Molly Ringwald. Aircraft also collaborated on C.S.I. creator Anthony E. Zuiker’s internet motion picture Cybergeddon and the NBC Universal web series Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters. For more information, visit www.aircraftpictures.com. 

About WexWorks Media 

WexWorks Media is an award-winning production company founded by Matthew Wexler and focused on the creation, development and production of innovative media content. Recent WexWorks projects include 5 seasons of Emmy-nominated and CSA-winning series Holly Hobbie (Hulu); the series adaptation of YouTube sensation Lucas the Spider for HBO Max and Cartoon Network in partnership with Fresh TV; animated series D.N. Ace (Teletoon) which Wexler created and was co-showrunner in partnership with Nelvana and Dentsu/OLM.  Prior to launching WexWorks Media, Wexler was co-head of Spin Master Entertainment where he was a key creative and production architect for global franchise hits PAW Patrol (Nickelodeon) and Bakugan (Cartoon Network).