It would have cost around $100 million, plus we would have had to dumb down the story for studio executives.

The American Geniuses graphic novel copyright is owned by Ben, Michelle, and Natalie. ZOE is partnering with us to sponsor the crowdfunding campaign and assist with fulfillment, but Ben is responsible for producing the actual product.

American Geniuses is a story about American teenagers from global backgrounds, each bringing their personal histories, heritage, and stories to their perspective and goals. While the story is grounded in the writers' direct experience navigating giftedness and neurodivergence in high school, Ben's experience as an immigrant (to Canada, ironically), Michelle's experience growing up in Hispanic American culture, and the process of coming out as queer and trans in North America, we also acknowledge that many elements of the story are also drawn from stories, cultures, and histories that are not ours. We have conducted, and continue to conduct, extensive consultation with friends and cultural professionals who can help us portray these identities and stories accurately, with a commitment to representing the breadth of our graphic novel's thematic focus: the power that we have when people from many different backgrounds share their stories and truths, working together to achieve a common good.

Short answer: maybe. We have several other opportunities to explore first.

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