The popular Twitch streamer Guy Beahm, known by fans as Dr DisRespect, is teaming up with Skybound Entertainment to develop a TV series based on his online persona. Many streamers have made large-scale deals as of late, but Dr DisRespect would be the first to create narrative content that he originated through his own streaming.
Dr DisRespect has been streaming on Twitch since 2015, and is known for playing H1Z1, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends. He has acquired 3.8 million followers on the platform to date. Best known for his over the top persona, his look of a black mullet wig, mustache, and sunglasses has become iconic in the gaming world. Beahm has won multiple awards for his streams, and has previously worked with Gilette, ASUS, Razer, and G Fuel to create sponsored content. Before he quit his job to stream fulltime, Beahm was also working for Sledgehammer Games, the creators of Dead Space, and helped create many of the multiplayer maps for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare during his time there.
In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter, it was announced that Dr DisRespect has recently made a deal with Skybound to create a television series. The show will apparently be animated, as Beahm and Skybound have already had “some early discussions around animation,” a medium that should be well-suited to the character’s larger-than-life personality. According to Beahm and CEO of Skybound David Alpert, the show will focus on “how the doctor became the doctor,” an idea that is difficult to convey through gameplay streams. Beahm has also expressed his desire for consistency during the creative process, as he doesn’t want to “lose the authenticity of the character.”
Skybound is best known for its ties to The Walking Dead, as its founder Robert Kirkman wrote the original comic books on which AMC’s hit show is based. The company also made headlines last year when it swooped in to save the final season of the Walking Dead game when Telltale shut down during its production.
While Beahm has stated that his current focus is on the TV show, he also noted that there could be opportunities to delve into other media as well due to Skybound’s work in games and comics, among other things. Fans don’t need to worry, however, as Dr DisRespect will continue to stream while also working on developing the series, as Twitch has been “extremely flexible” in allowing him to pursue this new opportunity. Not everyone may approve of Dr DisRespect’s antics, as he has been one of many streamers who have dealt with their fair share of controversy, but this is undoubtedly a big step forward for streamers potentially breaking into a more mainstream space.
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Source: The Hollywood Reporter
