UTA Signs Wattpad WEBTOON Studios
UTA Will Help Expand The Studios’ Business Across Film, Television, Animation, Audio and More
Leading global talent, entertainment and sports company UTA today announced that it has signed Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, the fan-driven global entertainment and publishing arm for WEBTOON and Wattpad, in all areas. UTA will help expand the studios’ business across film, television, animation, audio and more.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios brings together technology, a diverse new generation of creators, and passionate global fandoms to create data-backed, audience-driven TV shows, films, and books. As an audience-driven IP powerhouse, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios unlocks the full potential of WEBTOON and Wattpad’s global IP libraries, growing roster of superstar creators, fandoms in every genre and combined audience of more than 175 million people.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios continues to grow its footprint in Hollywood and international entertainment markets. Along with the recent expansion of its global entertainment group through a new animation division and key hires in the US and Europe, including David Madden as Head of Global Entertainment, the studio has a number of completed and upcoming projects in its slate. The studio recently wrapped production on Boot Camp with Great Pacific Media, adapted from Gina Musa’s 26.5 million-read Wattpad webnovel of the same name. Boot Camp stars Drew Ray Tanner, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Ennis Esmer, and newcomer Rachel Boudwin.
Other upcoming projects from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios include the feature film adaptation of Claudia Tan’s 85 million-read Wattpad webnovel Perfect Addiction. From Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Constantin Film, and JB Pictures, the film will premiere in select European theaters and stream on Amazon Prime in countries across Europe (excluding Germany/Switzerland/Austria), Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and Southeast Asia in Spring 2023. Also upcoming is Kate Marchant’s Wattpad romance Float, which has been adapted into a feature film from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, Lionsgate, Collective Pictures, and Brightlight Pictures.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios’ expertise in fan-driven content has led to a growing number of high-profile projects. Netflix recently saw enormous success with Through My Window (A través de mi Ventana), adapted from the Wattpad webnovel of the same name by Ariana Godoy, one of the platform’s most successful authors. After accumulating more than 325 million reads on Wattpad, the film adaptation premiered on Netflix in February 2022, where it reached #1 in 22 regions, the global Top 10 for Non-English films in 93 countries and spent 12 weeks in the streamer’s global Top 10. Netflix confirmed plans to produce the next two sequels to the series less than two weeks after it first launched on the service. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios recently announced development on a film adaptation of Sigue Mi Voz, another popular title from Godoy’s body of work on Wattpad.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios currently has more than 100 projects in development or production worldwide, including Rachel Smythe’s 1.2 billion-view WEBTOON sensation Lore Olympus with The Jim Henson Company; The QB Bad Boy and Me by Tay Marley with Creator+ and starring social media phenom Noah Beck; A.Rasen’s nightmare-filled WEBTOON hit Gremoryland with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment; Deanna Cameron’s What Happened That Night, adapted by Academy Award-nominated Children of Men screenwriter David Arata; T.L. Bodine’s The Hound, adapted by screenwriter Angela LaManna (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Marvel’s The Punisher series); and Spanish Wattpad hits Perfectos Mentirosos from Alex Mírez, Flor M. Salvador’s Boulevard, and Mala Influencia by author teensspirit.
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios also holds partnerships with ViacomCBS International Studios, Fremantle, Leone Film Group, Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment, Constantin Film and many more.
“Wattpad WEBTOON Studios has seen incredible growth in the past year and we knew we needed an agency that would not only be able to keep up with our rapidly expanding slate, but also provide more opportunities for our projects and creatives,” said Aron Levitz, President of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “UTA represents the absolute best in the industry, so we’re thrilled to partner with an agency that truly understands our business and can guide us through this next phase of our studio’s evolution.”
“Our partnership with Wattpad WEBTOON Studios is guided by a common goal—to celebrate and elevate creators from all walks of life and their unique stories,” said UTA’s Partner & Co-Head of Media Rights Jason Richman and Head of Asia Business Development Max Michael. “The studios’ footprint in entertainment continues to grow and we look forward to advancing that momentum by leveraging its powerhouse IP to create new business opportunities across a range of verticals.”