Screen Queensland is again inviting screenwriters and teams to submit adaptation pitches for a selection of titles from the Wattpad and Webtoon digital platforms.
Webtoon supernatural webcomic School Bus Graveyard by Red (75 million views), horror Wattpad web novel Apartment 239 by Elford Alley (423,000 reads), and Wattpad feel-good comedy All Good Things by Renee Racine Kinnear (90,000 reads) have been chosen for initiative, which continues the partnership between the state agency and the Canadian social storytelling company.
Three successful individuals or teams will receive guidance in creating a pitch, treatment, and draft scripts, to potentially secure production partners and marketplace backing for a Queensland production.
It comes as the two titles from the inaugural 2020 initiative move into their next phase of development, with Elizabeth A. Seibert’s Wattpad web novel The Bro Code (21 million reads) being adapted by Dominic Morris into a feature film, while Siobhan Domingo and producer Elizabeth Simard are developing a TV series based on Wattpad web novel How To Lose Weight and Survive The Apocalypse (316,000 reads) by Kate J. Squires.
Screen Queensland CCO Belinda Burns said the initiative brought the “enormous” benefits of the data-driven, worldwide platform to local Queensland creatives.
“This unique initiative offers Queenslanders a significant career boost, granting access to carefully selected stories with well-established global audiences,” she said.
“Our continued collaboration with Wattpad Webtoon Studios will give Queensland screenwriters and producers a prestigious international connection, opening doors to market.”
Wattpad Webtoon Studios president Aron Levitz said the international studio “couldn’t be happier” to again collaborate with Screen Queensland.
“School Bus Graveyard, Apartment 239, and All Good Things each bring incredible storytelling and rich narratives that will be perfect for screen adaptations, so we can’t wait to see the concepts for them from Australia’s incredible creative talent.”
Applications close March 22. Find out more information on how to apply here.