Days after revealing a plan to develop a film slate with Leone Film Group, Wattpad Webtoon Studios has announced a deal with Fremantle to develop original, European fiction stories as series.

Under the creative partnership, Toronto-based digital content platform Wattpad Webtoon Studios and British prodco and distributor Fremantle will develop a slate of projects adapted from Wattpad’s successful Spanish, Italian and English-language webnovels with built-in, global fandoms.

The companies plan to work with the original indie authors in a range of genres from Wattpad and coproduce the content for worldwide distribution. No story titles have been announced yet under the partnership.

Aron Levitz, president of Wattpad Webtoon Studios, said in a statement that the partnership will allow the company to “supercharge” its success in European markets while helping its creators and their stories reach new audiences.

Christian Vesper, president of global drama at Fremantle, said the partnership falls in line with the company’s goal of sourcing diverse narratives from around the world.

Wattpad Webtoon Studios launched in June 2021 after Wattpad’s new owner, South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, merged their respective studio divisions. Last week Wattpad CEO Allen Lau announced he’s moving into an advisory role while president Jeanne Lam oversees day-to-day operations and leadership of the company.

Wattpad Webtoon Studios says it now has more than 100 projects in development or production worldwide, while a growing number of its hits arrive on screens. In February it saw the release of the Spanish-language Netflix original film A través de mi Ventana (Through My Window), based on the novel from Wattpad author Ariana Godoy.

Other European Wattpad Webtoon Studios projects include Perfect Addiction with Constantin Film and The Bad Boy’s Girl, in development as a feature film with Leone Film.

Image courtesy of Wattpad