As the marketplace for media consumption continues to refocus on video both large and small, Weird Little Worlds continued to respond to demand by dipping its toes into both film and theatrical production this summer. With the success of the theatrical production of Polly: A True Pioneer which Weird Little Worlds produced over the summer, new projects are on the horizon for the publishing company in the world of stage and screen.
“We have been seeing such a trend towards video and stage media that it just makes sense to pursue it,” says CEO, Willow Becker. “We have the opportunity to tell great stories and to get the stories we currently have in front of new viewers with new priorities. I think it’s a great move for our authors and for our fans.”
The foray into theater was a net positive, despite softer-than-expected ticket sales. The true-life story of Polly Matilda, an early Mormon settler, captured the hearts of audiences with its catchy music and its multi-generational cast. Despite a limited stage run, Polly: A True Pioneer Musical (which is presented as a part of the WLW Adventure series), earned nearly $7k. It further inspired the creation of a new children’s theater offering, which is currently producing its first show, We Are Monsters, at a local Utah elementary school.
Other new projects include Weird Little Worlds upcoming audiobook release of Come Sing for the Harrowing, by Dan Coxon. This will be the company’s first dramatically produced audiobook, and it will be available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats on the book’s release date, October 1st.
Other projects in the works include a potential film adaptation of The Corn Man, a period piece about a pioneer settler that must face a monstrous creature in order to reanimate her children who died on the trail west. This is a collaboration with a Utah local filmmaker, with production still in the infant stages.
The changes in direction come as a direct result of the Robots Were Right campaign which failed to fund in April of this year. The yearly Kickstarter fundraiser is responsible for earning the money that funds the company’s yearly projects, and Becker says that the loss forced Weird Little Worlds to reevaluate the direction of the company.
“We want to make sure that we are doing projects that people are excited about,” Becker says. “This company was always built as a way for people to have a say in what is created, regardless of what’s popular or politically correct at the time. I want to make sure that we are always listening and finding ways to bring people what they want to see.”
Willow Dawn Becker is an author, voice personality, marketing maven, and entrepreneur. She co-founded Weird Little Worlds Press in 2020 despite a raging pandemic and huge personal losses. Her work can be found at Black Fox Literary Magazine and Space and Time Magazine. She lives in Utah with her family and pug-huahua, Indiana Bones.
