Fremantle and Wattpadd Webtoon Studios, which is the entertainment arm of the user-generated fiction and comics entertainment outfits, have announced a new partnership that will see them co-develop a slate of European film and TV projects.
These will be adapted from successful Spanish, Italian, and English language stories with built-in global fandoms on Wattpad and Webtoon, they said in a statement.
Under the deal Fremantle, the production and distribution powerhouse owned by Germany’s RTL Group, and the studios will be co-producing the content for worldwide distribution.
The non-exclusive partnership will give Fremantle access to Webtoon Studios IPs spanning a wide range of genres, and also to their data-backed insights into what fans love about them.
The two companies said they will be working with the original Wattpad authors to develop local and regional hits with global appeal in Spanish, Italian, and English-speaking countries.
Fremantle has a robust European drama slate comprising Luca Guadagnino’s coming of age drama series “We Are Who We Are” and Tobias Lindholm-directed “The Investigation” and Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated film “The Hand of God,” to name a few. This type of content is increasigly being made alongside Fremantle’s activity producing and distributing global formats that cross borders such as “Idol,” “The X Factor,” and “Got Talent.”
“Sourcing diverse narratives from around the world is important to us at Fremantle to ensure we reflect the local stories and experiences of our global audiences” said Christian Vesper, chief of global drama at Fremantle, adding: “Partnering with Wattpad Webtoon Studios will enable us to connect with a new world of creatives, helping amplify their voices beyond the page to the world stage.”