Some of the most recent book-to-screen adaptations have come from a somewhat surprising source, Wattpad. Launched in 2006, Wattpad, a global storytelling platform, has over 665 million story uploads. This is plenty of material for new TV shows and films.

The most recent Wattpad book to leap to video is “Love Me, Love Me,” arriving on Prime Video on February 13. With over 23 million reads, “Love Me, Love Me,”  by Stefania S., tells the story of June, who moves to Milan for a fresh start after her brother’s death. Her new life leads her to a relationship with Will, the perfect honors student at her new school. June’s fragile stability is shaken by Will’s volatile rivalry with his best friend James, who is secretly leading a dangerous life as an MMA fighter. June is forced to choose between safety and a love that questions everything she thought she wanted.

“Love Me, Love Me” making the leap from page to screen is not a fluke. Many Wattpad stories have been turned into films and TV shows. Why is this? These books are the perfect test market for Hollywood, where TV and movie executives can see what is attracting the most interest. 

Most Wattpad books are serialized, providing plenty of material for scripts, with chapters that naturally lend themselves to episodes or scenes. The “After” series—including “After,” “After We Collided,” “After We Fell,” “After Ever Happy” and “After Everything”—has been released in theaters starting in 2019. “The Kissing Booth” expanded into three Netflix films beginning in 2018. “Light as a Feather” became a Hulu series in 2018. 

In addition, “My Life With the Walter Boys” has run for two seasons on Netflix beginning 2023, with a third on the way. “Perfect Addiction” was released in theaters before streaming on Prime Video in 2023. 

What do these have in common? They have romantic and coming-of-age arcs built around strong cliffhangers. 

They also have loyal fans. 

Readers are invested in these storylines and want to see their favorite books on screen. More than movies, streaming platforms benefit most from Wattpad readers. There is a natural overlap.

It is unsurprising that romance and young adult titles dominate this trend. According to Wattpad, its user base is 70% female and about 50% of their readers are under 18. Of their over 90 million international monthly users, roughly 80-90% are Gen Z or Millennials. 

Serialized stories released once or twice a week, paired with strong emotional plots keep readers engaged. Streaming video services have a similar demographic. According to Pew  Research, 72% of 18- to 29-year olds use Hulu and 67% of those in that age range use Prime Video. Both platforms and Wattpad benefit from the same kind of emotional loyalty.

Wattpad is a strong testing ground with ample material for movie and TV execs to explore. It also saves them time and reduces risk. By the time a Wattpad story is adapted, Hollywood already knows who its audience is and how many readers the story has attracted. When “Love Me Love Me” lands on Prime Video, it will be another reminder that some of today’s shows and films are being shaped in Wattpad’s comment sections before they ever reach a camera.

About the writer

Felise Shellenberger hails from the Philly suburbs. A proud new grandmother, Felise is currently reading Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library” and is watching the new season of “Shrinking” on AppleTV. Her favorite book adaptations are “Alice in Wonderland” and Andy Weir’s “The Martian.” Felise is a leader in the Interfaith community, currently serving as the Board Chair for the Interfaith Families Project. She just launched a newsletter called “Plan F” about living well with EDS and MS.