In the ever-evolving landscape of film and television, romance stories are capturing audiences like never before, and Wattpad Webtoon Studios is at the forefront of this surge. The production arm of the popular online publishing platforms has adapted several hit romantic dramas, contributing to a genre that's seeing heightened demand amid global uncertainties. Recent releases like Love Me Love Me on Prime Video and Kissing Is The Easy Part on Tubi, both launched on February 13, 2024, just in time for Valentine's Day viewing, exemplify the studio's strategy of turning web-based fan favorites into screen successes.
David Madden, Head of Global Entertainment at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, attributes the popularity of these stories to their timeless appeal. "Romance is a key to storytelling and has always been a staple," Madden told Deadline in a recent interview. He added, "Having said that, in times that are confusing and are somewhat disorienting on a global level, there’s more emphasis on personal fulfilment. Romance never goes away. It’s a key part of our quest for happiness, but I think especially important when it’s harder to know what else to believe in or hold on to."
Wattpad, known for its user-generated stories where readers can comment on individual paragraphs, and Webtoon, its graphic novel and digital comic counterpart allowing feedback up to the end of each episode, provide a unique feedback loop for creators. This interactive element helps shape narratives as they transition to film and TV. "We’re making things for fans. They love the twists and turns and we know that as we’re developing, we know what parts of the stories that they like," Madden explained.
The studio's approach leverages data from millions of reads to identify promising projects. For instance, Love Me Love Me had amassed 24 million reads on Wattpad, while Kissing Is The Easy Part reached 32 million before their adaptations. "The science part of it is the data and looking at the metrics," Madden said. "It’s hard to ignore when something has a groundswell of readership. At the same time, we all read a lot, and personal judgment comes to be part of it."
Love Me Love Me follows protagonist June, who relocates to Italy seeking a fresh start after her brother's death. At her new elite school, she becomes entangled with James, a brooding bully involved in underground MMA fights, only to start dating his best friend, Will. In contrast, Kissing Is The Easy Part depicts a blossoming romance between a straight-A student bribed to tutor a rebellious troublemaker. Madden highlighted the variety within the genre: "Love Me Love Me is a little more serious and dramatic and Kissing Is The Easy Part is a little more playful, but they’re both expressions of this desire to connect."
This Valentine's Day push comes alongside other romantic projects in the industry, such as Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which has grossed nearly $200 million worldwide at the box office, and FX's upcoming Love Story. Yet, as Jason Goldberg, Head of Global Film at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, noted, romance thrives year-round. "We have things in every single genre, but I think romance remains king on Wattpad and Webtoon," Goldberg said. "Whether the story is fantasy or sci-fi or horror, romance tends to be some sort of element."
One standout upcoming project is a feature adaptation of Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell, which has garnered 160 million views on Webtoon. It's being developed in partnership with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment. The studio has a track record of successful adaptations, including the Sidelined series, starting with Sidelined: The QB and Me, followed by Sidelined 2: Intercepted. Audience enthusiasm drove the sequel, with Madden observing, "The audience for these movies expresses their feelings in a very clear way. We made Sidelined: The QB and Me and the audience came out in enormous numbers. They kind of demanded a sequel, so we made that (Sidelined 2: Intercepted) and they were there for it the second time around."
"So, those are the reviews, people coming out on mass and saying: ‘This moved me. This made me laugh. This made me hopeful. This made me cry.’"
When asked about a potential third Sidelined film to form a trilogy, Madden responded coyly, "Wouldn’t that be nice?" This fan-driven success underscores the studio's focus on young adult (YA) audiences, even as critics sometimes offer mixed reviews for these lighter fare.
Wattpad's open-access model democratizes storytelling, allowing voices from around the world to gain traction. Madden and Goldberg cited a project from a female Pakistani writer known as Ree on Wattpad, whose story draws from her experiences with an arranged marriage. "She couldn’t get something on the BBC or Netflix, but she wrote this story, it got a readership and we read it and got excited about it and we’re now trying to put it together," Madden said. "Anybody from literally anywhere on this planet, can get these stories on the platform. And truly, the best story wins."
This contrasts with traditional screenwriting, where assignments often align with market demands. "We live in a world of screenwriters who are writing on assignment, who can sometimes, for understandable reasons, write to the marketplace," Madden noted. "That’s not what comes out of these platforms." Early successes like Anna Todd's After series, which became a film franchise starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin, paved the way. Other multi-installment adaptations include Prime Video's Culpables trilogy, originally in Spanish and now slated for an English remake, and Netflix's Through My Window trilogy based on Ariana Godoy's Wattpad novels.
Looking ahead, Chasing Red is currently in production with Wattpad Webtoon Studios and Stampede Ventures, featuring actors Madelaine Petsch and Gavin Casalegno, known from Riverdale and The Summer I Turned Pretty, respectively. Another project, She’s With Me, is in development with Red Sage, a new YA-focused label led by James Farrell, formerly head of international content at Prime Video during the Maxton Hall and Culpables era.
These adaptations are also launching careers. Nicole Wallace, star of Culpables, has achieved global recognition, with Culpa Tuya named Prime Video's biggest international show ever. She recently signed an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. Goldberg emphasized the importance of casting: "I think a lot of buyers were skittish about YA, because they’re like: ‘Oh, who do we cast?’ But we have lots of great relationships with young talent, and young talent loves the types of stories that we do." He added that stars like Petsch and Casalegno draw in viewers unfamiliar with the source material.
Other projects in the pipeline include a Sony adaptation of Flor M. Salvador’s Boulevard, a three-book series (with a fourth forthcoming) that has 140 million Wattpad reads, and Perfectos Mentirosos, with over 139 million reads, set for Prime Video as a film based on Alex Mírez's story about intrigue at an elite university.
The romance boom extends beyond traditional formats, touching on microdramas and other emerging spaces. As Goldberg put it, "We’ll definitely have more stories for Valentine’s Days to come." With built-in fandoms, data-driven selections, and a commitment to diverse voices, Wattpad Webtoon Studios is positioning itself as a powerhouse in romantic entertainment, potentially reshaping how stories from the digital fringes reach global audiences.
This influx of YA romance adaptations signals a broader industry shift toward content that prioritizes emotional connection and escapism. While some traditional Hollywood executives remain cautious about the genre's longevity, the box office and streaming metrics suggest otherwise, with projects like The Summer I Turned Pretty and the Culpables series proving the viability of web-to-screen pipelines.