Wattpad WEBTOON is teaming with Screenplay Films and Indonesia’s premier streaming service Vidio on a new slate of originals based on Wattpad stories.
Vidio has ordered five new projects and a second season of the record-breaking series Turn On.
This marks the first partnership for the newly merged studios since Wattpad and WEBTOON officially combined last June. At the time South Korean parent company Naver unveiled a $100 million commitment to develop and produce projects under president Aron Levitz.
The new slate of projects is part of a renewed and expanded partnership between the companies, and represents the biggest regional production slate for Vidio, essentially doubling the size of its original deal with Wattpad Studios that was in-place before the merger.
When Turn On debuted earlier this year it became the most-watched title in Q1 for Vidio and its 60 million subscribers, reaching a record 13 million viewers. The series is based on Tiara Wales’ Wattpad story of the same name, which has been read 17.9 million times to-date. Indonesian actors Giorgino Abraham and Clara Bernadeth star in the Vemmy Sagita-directed series.
Paradise Garden, the second collaboration between the companies, was also strong out of the gate during its premiere last month. Starring Jefri Nichol and Vanescha Prescilla, and directed by Tommy Dewo, Paradise Garden reached the first position on Vidio upon its July release.
The third collaboration, Live with my Ketos, starring Adhisty Zara and Arbani Yazis, debuts later this month.
“The Wattpad WEBTOON Studios model is all about listening to fans and creating the entertainment they want,” said Levitz in a release. “Vidio and Screenplay have truly embraced our innovative approach, and the results are clear: record-breaking success and a growing fandom. We’re honoured to bring this new slate of projects to life for fans all over Southeast Asia.”
“We’ve seen the incredible value of working with Wattpad WEBTOON Studios from the moment these projects started streaming, so we’re thrilled to expand our official partnership to adapt the most popular Wattpad stories in Indonesia,” added Tina Arwin, chief content officer, Vidio. “Fans across the country have fallen in love with Turn On and Paradise Garden, and for this next slate of projects we’re doing everything bigger and better, for global cinema quality productions and casting from the top talent in Indonesia.”
The companies also hinted at more projects to come, as Wattpad WEBTOON continues eyeing Indonesia for its robust local star system, large population, and continued commitment to Wattpad thanks to a community of more than nine million users.
The five new projects announced this week include the romantic series Married With Senior, a YA take on an arranged marriage that’s been read 52.8 million times on the platform, and Daniel and Nicolette, in which an orphan mugs and repays a charming CEO by coming to work at his TV station. That story has a current following of 46 million readers.
My Ice Girl, in which a man tries to solve the mystery surrounding his younger sister’s death, My Nerd Girl, in which a woman investigates her twin sister’s apparent suicide, and the unrequited love story Mari Jangan Saling Jatuh Cinta round out the new slate.
Wicky V. Olindo serves as producer on the projects. Executive producers include Sutanto Hartono, Hermawan Sutanto and Tina Arwin for Vidio; Anthony Buncio for Screenplay Films; and Levitz, Eric Lehrman and Dexter Ong for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios.