The NYT Gets Camera Ready

Apparently, you're not the only one who while reading the New York Times magazine every week thinks, This crazy profile would make one helluva movie. Our paper of record announced late yesterday that they've struck an exclusive deal with the Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann Agency in Los Angeles to broker the options from NYT content.

While it's not unusual for publications and journalists to sell the rights for their non-fiction articles to be turned into Hollywood films, it is intriguing to note how the Times is viewing it as a brand extension.

"The key here is to build on the great material, the great people and the great thinkers that come through the paper and to figure out ways to extend the brand intelligently and thoughtfully in the right areas and in the right circumstances,"[BWCS managing partner Chris] Silbermann said. If it makes sense to have the Times directly associated with a film or TV project, there could be credits such as "The New York Times presents" or "Based on stories in the New York Times," Silbermann said.

Will seeing that credit before a movie conjure up connotations of "Masterpiece Theater" or something a little less classy?

New York Times Building photo from svachalek via Flickr.