Webtoon Productions and Madrid- and Los Angeles-based Espotlight have signed a first-look deal to develop Spanish-language film and animated television adaptations of Wattpad’s web novels, expanding a partnership that already produced the internationally released “Boulevard” with Sony Pictures International.
The deal will see Espotlight debut Spanish-language stories published on Wattpad, giving the production company access to a pipeline of digitally native IP with established readerships. The partners will work together to identify and develop projects aimed at Spanish-speaking markets and broader international audiences.
The agreement follows a collaboration with Sony Pictures International on “Boulevard,” based on Flor M. Salvador’s Wattpad series, which has been read more than 160 million times. The film will be released theatrically in April 2026 in Spain, Latin America, and the United States, and is currently streaming worldwide exclusively on Prime Video.
Ancho Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Espotlight Media, said: “We are pleased to partner with Webtoon Productions after the outstanding track record of ‘Boulevard’ in both its theatrical release and global platform release on Prime Video.” He described the film as “the first of many titles” that the two companies would like to explore together.
“Our passionate goal is to deliver adaptations that satisfy our loyal fan base, while simultaneously reaching new audiences locally and internationally,” Rodriguez added.
Spanish-language novels rank as one of Wattpad’s most popular categories, providing webtoon productions with a growing source of stories where readership data and fan engagement can inform development and adaptation decisions.
Webtoon Productions’ Spanish-language productions include Ariana Godoy’s “Through My Window” franchise for Netflix and “Follow My Voice” for Prime Video, as well as “Bad Influence” for Netflix and the upcoming “Perfect Liars” for Prime Video. The first “Through My Window” movie spent a total of 18 weeks among the most-watched non-English films on Netflix.
“Hispanic entertainment is taking the world by storm, and we’re seeing a growing demand for great stories like this from consumers and the entertainment industry,” said David Madden, president of Webtoon Productions.
“With the sheer volume and huge popularity of Spanish-language titles on Wattpad, we’re excited to work with Espotlight to bring fans more adaptations of the stories they love.”
Webtoon Productions’ extensive Wattpad and Webtoon-based projects include “Sidelined: The QB and Me” with Tubi; “Lore Olympus” by Prime Video and The Jim Henson Company. “Love Me Love Me” Prime Video; “Stagtown” with LuckyChap Entertainment. “Love Advice from the Grand Duke of Hell” with Imagine Entertainment.
Founded by Rodriguez in 2020, Espotlight’s credits include Prime Video’s “Los Farado” and “Tell Me Your Name,” the Disney+ and Apple TV+ thriller “You Would Do It Too,” and Netflix’s feature “Cortafuego,” which debuted in February and reached No. 1 in more than 30 countries.
