Wattpad has long served as a conduit for content adaptations of tales by new writers to streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu. ViacomCBS and Wattpad’s studio arm have teamed together to create a slate of original shows based on popular Wattpad and Webtoon titles.
Wattpad has been a narrative springboard for streaming services for years — The Kissing Booth and the After franchises are two noteworthy examples — in part because Wattpad can extract a wealth of internal data about how readers interact with tales and what type of storytelling they return to.
That may easily convert to popular franchises for services looking for fresh original content, especially entertainment aimed at younger audiences. (For example, After began as a Wattpad fanfiction about Harry Styles.)
Wattpad and its sibling site Webtoon, whose parent firm Naver purchased Wattpad for more than $600 million earlier this year, will be mined for tales by ViacomCBS’ entertainment division. The businesses announced today that Wattpad Webtoon Studios would collaborate with ViacomCBS to create original content for its various networks and brands, including Paramount Plus.
The originals will be taken from a variety of genres and are anticipated to appeal primarily to Gen Z and millennial viewers.
In a statement, Aron Levitz, president of Wattpad Webtoon Studios, stated, “Wattpad Webtoon Studios is home to some of the most intriguing emerging voices in comics and literature.” “We’re powering a new age of data-backed entertainment with our vast global IP portfolio with built-in fandoms and a roster of renowned comic artists and independent authors.”
