Corus Entertainment’s Waterside Studios, an IP and production venture focused on bringing premium scripted Canadian content for youth and primetime audiences internationally, announced today two new development deals. The studio is set to produce live-action television adaptations of Marcela Citterio’s The Girl who Didn’t Want to be a Princess and Uma Ghost for young adults around the globe.

“Waterside Studios is honoured to bring to life two great stories from a fantastic storyteller who connects with global audiences and has a proven track record of successful shows in the Latin, North American and European markets,” said Jeff Norton, Head of Waterside Studios. “The stories are complementary yet completely different, but audiences can expect premium, family entertainment with comedic elements and unsuspecting plot twists.”

The Girl who Didn’t Want to be a Princess follows 18-year-old Aurora who is a Formula 1-obsessed girl with albinism who plans every detail of her life in Buenos Aires. She has no time for love, thinks the monarchy is overrated and accidentally goes viral for saying princes are boring puppets. Aurora’s life takes a dramatic turn when she falls in love with poor Tiziano, who is actually a prince from a neighbouring island in disguise.

In Uma Ghost, Emmeline is a millionaire, rebel, and an orphan. She gets caught vandalizing her school and is sent to live with a new family, where she is forced to sleep in the room of their late daughter Uma. The adventures unfold one night when Emmeline discovers her mission is to help the family heal and to help her new friend Uma transition to life and love in The Ghost World via the closet in their bedroom.

“The Girl who Didn’t Want to Be a Princess and Uma Fantasma are two of the most important books of my life, as they truly embody my thirty years of storytelling experience.” said Marcela Citterio. “Being able to work hand-in-hand with Waterside Studios and Corus Entertainment to develop these characters and their stories into a TV series that gives them an innovative audiovisual narrative, a dimension that would not have been possible otherwise, is beyond any of my dreams. I’m grateful and excited that these industry giants trust me and my publisher, The Orlando Books, to support and co-create my visions, I know that together we will take the art of storytelling to new heights and I can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve created.”

Following the success of her last book adaptation Lady Voyeur on Netflix Brazil, along with her past successes for young audiences with Chica Vampiro and Yo Soy Frankie, The Girl who Didn’t Want to be a Princess and Uma Ghost are the latest titles added to her growing list of adaptations for streaming platforms and Latino TV channels.