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Breakout Instagram stars Trent Simonian and Jack Byrne just inked a deal to have their off-the-wall, impromptu act Sidetalk adapted from the social media platform to the cinema and TV, according to Deadline. The second-year NYU students’ “one-minute street show” has been picked up by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and WME for development into longer format media, but have no intention of ditching the eccentric style that brought them this far.
“We look forward to continuing to create short-form digital content with Sidetalk for the next few years while we are in college at NYU,” the twosome said to Deadline. “As the city comes back to life this summer, we are excited to showcase the city’s revival and energy to the rest of the world.”
With a follower count of over 300,000, which is certain to keep growing, Sidetalk originally started as a “man-on-the-street internet show” when the two met as freshmen in 2019. “The inspiration really was bad content,” Byrne told his college newspaper last April.
After crashing Jonah Hill’s birthday party and a shoutout by New York Nico, the pair’s popularity exploded, and they can now name Bella Hadid and Tyga among their fanbase. Simonian and Byrne have also been a part of the Spider Cuz wave and had Lil Agz on their show a few times, too.
“We just meet so many people every day,” says Simonian told Complex this past January. “A lot of the times, we just see someone who we can tell will be good for the camera. We go out to them and they are good for the camera.”
The pair reiterated that sentiment in their recent announcement to Deadline, “We collaborated with rapper A$AP Rocky to bring his virtual Yams Day concert to life, and we have been able to turn several regular New Yorkers into local celebrities.”
So until we get further details for the movie or TV show, make sure to stay alert on those New York City streets and for your chance to become the next local celebrity on the next episode of Sidetalk.
