Nl Film and Wattpad Announce Exclusive Dutch-Language Partnership
NL Film will have first-look rights to adapt Dutch-language stories from Wattpad
June 20, 2019 - TORONTO - NL Film and Wattpad, the global multiplatform company for original stories, have announced an exclusive Dutch-language partnership to bring Wattpad stories to screens in the Netherlands. NL Film, part of EndemolShine Nederland, will receive exclusive first-look rights to adapt Dutch-language stories from Wattpad. The deal will focus on young-adult (YA) stories for development as series or films.
NL Film, known for producing quality drama for audiences including Floor Rules, Netflix’s The Resistance Banker and the award-winning The Menten Case, will work with Wattpad to adapt new projects from the platform using Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology. Wattpad’s technology will power discovery for the partnership, allowing the companies to identify and develop exceptional Dutch-language Wattpad stories. The companies will also leverage Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology to bring reader sentiment, feedback, story interactions, and other data-backed insights to the development process.
Kaja Wolffers, Creative Director of NL Film: “NL Film is committed to bringing the best and most suited content to viewers and does that by understanding its audience’s needs. This deal with Wattpad helps us to continue to deliver engaging drama and find fresh and new perspectives. Wattpad reaches audiences that can’t be reached with standard media. The insight we get from the feedback and interaction data of their users is very informative and valuable for the development of new projects.”
Aron Levitz, Head of Wattpad Studios: “Entertainment companies around the world are increasingly looking to data and technology to help identify new voices, and then make data-backed decisions during development. Wattpad’s global community offers an untapped pool of talent, and we’re excited to partner with NL Film to highlight our Dutch-language writers, giving them an opportunity to see their stories brought to life on the screen.”
NL Film is the latest international entertainment company to strike a deal with Wattpad. In the past year alone, Wattpad has announced deals with Sony Pictures Television, Mediacorp, Lagardere Studios, iflix, SYFY, Huayi Brothers Korea, Bavaria Fiction, and others.
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About Wattpad:
Wattpad’s vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories. Using the power of community and technology, the global multiplatform entertainment company is unleashing the full potential of stories to the world -- in any format. Wattpad’s flagship app is the world’s leading social storytelling platform, home to a community of more than 70 million people who spend over 22 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories. Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology allows the company to understand and discover stories among the more than 565 million uploads that have been shared on the platform. Wattpad Studios and Wattpad Books are transforming entertainment and publishing, using data-backed insights to turn Wattpad stories into books, films, TV shows, and digital projects. Wattpad Brand Partnerships offers a full suite of advertising products to help brands build deep engagement with Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Tap by Wattpad, the company’s second storytelling product, offers immersive interactive entertainment experiences in over a dozen languages. The company is proudly based in Toronto, Canada.
About NL Film:
NL Film is a production company based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Since its foundation, NL Film has built up an impressive oeuvre of short and feature-length films, youth drama and television series. A striking feature of the company’s output is the breadth of target groups it has been able to reach. Its television drama portfolio ranges from (public broadcaster) NPO series Penoza, SpangaS, The Body Collector and Mother, I Want to Join the Cabaret to drama series Black Tulip, Bluff and Aaf for the commercial broadcasters. The company also produces content for YouTube, such as web series Meet the Stockers.Thanks to a diverse range of feature films, including The Resistance Banker, Tonio, Men In the City 1&2, Love over Distance and All You Need Is Love NL Film is one of the most active, talked-about contemporary Dutch film producers.