Wattpad WEBTOON Studios & Great Pacific Media Announce Boot Camp, a New Film Based on Gina Musa’s Wattpad Sensation
The Wattpad webnovel adaptation stars Drew Ray Tanner, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Ennis Esmer, and introducing Rachel Boudwin
The film is backed by Wattpad WEBTOON Studios’ $100 million commitment from parent company Naver; the studio will also manage global sales and distribution outside of Canada
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios today announced that production is wrapped for Boot Camp, a film adaptation of Gina Musa’s global Wattpad sensation of the same name. Great Pacific Media (GPM) acquired the film and TV rights and is producing the movie for parentco Thunderbird Entertainment’s Scripted division. It commenced filming in Vancouver, BC, earlier this month. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios will oversee global sales (excluding Canada) and distribution for Boot Camp, which is partially backed by the studio’s $100-million development and production fund from parent company Naver. The $100-million commitment from Naver was announced as part of the merger of Wattpad Studios and WEBTOON Studios in 2021.
Boot Camp, which currently has over 26 million reads on Wattpad, was developed with GPM, December Films, Junction Hammer Productions and Channel Zero Studios.
The witty romantic comedy tells the body-empowerment story of notoriously unathletic Whitney Carmichael, who begins to fall for her off-limits personal trainer after signing up for an intense summer boot camp to reinvent herself. A deepening connection inspires her to let go of the others’ expectations and, instead, find the strength to embrace her true self.
In his first leading feature role, Drew Ray Tanner (Riverdale) will play Axel and star opposite Rachel Boudwin in the lead role of Whitney. Emmanuelle Chriqui, who portrayed the iconic character Sloan in HBO’s Entourage and is currently in her third season playing Lana Lang in the CW’s Superman and Lois, will play Cindy, boot camp leader camp and the mother of Whitney’s nemesis. Rounding out the supporting cast are veteran actors Ennis Esmer (Red Oaks, Children Ruin Everything) as the boot camp’s co-leader Bob and Martin Cummins (Riverdale, When Calls the Heart) as Whitney’s father as well as Rachel Boyd (He’s Not Worth Dying For) as Willow, a beautiful but malicious queen bee whose cruelty stems from a troubled relationship with her mother, Cindy, played by Chriqui.
Mackenzie Munro (Salvation) is directing the film, with a script penned by Gemma Holdway (Cardinal, The Murders). Aron Levitz, David Madden and Lindsey Weems Ramey are set to executive produce for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. Lindsay Macadam is producing for GPM while David Way and Wendy McKernan are executive producing for the company. Todd Berger and Julie DiCresce are executive producing for December Films and Jennifer Chen and Sabrina Spence are executive producing for Junction Hammer Productions.
“Boot Camp is a celebration of love and body empowerment in a time when we don’t see those messages nearly enough online and in entertainment,” said Lindsey Ramey, Head of Global Film at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “Hollywood is overdue for a smart, joyful film with an amazing love story about someone who can love themself as much as someone else. We’re turning tired tropes on their head, and making a film where the female lead doesn’t need an external makeover in order to fall in love and live happily ever after.”
“Gina Musa’s Boot Camp hits all these markers for a YA fan-favourite: a unique story with relatable characters, and the perfect mix of summer romance, humor and drama,” said Aron Levitz, President of Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “At Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, we have the privilege to invest in the creators and projects that have built global fandoms on our platforms. We’re thrilled to back the financing for Boot Camp, kicking-off the exciting next phase in our evolution bringing stories to the screen that fans around the world have fallen in love with.”
“Wattpad WEBTOON Studios have been tremendous partners on Boot Camp. Their track record in this genre is more than impressive and we are thrilled to bring this important story to life. Millions have read and loved the story that inspired the film and we know that they—and many more—will fall in love with these characters,” says Lindsay Macadam, Executive Vice President of GPM.
Other upcoming projects in development from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios include 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); Spanish Wattpad hits Perfectos Mentirosos (119 million reads on Wattpad) from author Alex Mírez and Flor M. Salvador’s 88 million-read webnovel Boulevard. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios has more than 100 projects currently in development around the world.