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Gen-Z Stars Lead Wattpad's Direct-to-Film Era
26 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Wattpad story 'Chasing Red' gets major movie adaptation.
- Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch and 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' star Gavin Casalegno cast.
- Production begins December in Saudi Arabia for the film.
Wattpad is increasingly cutting out the traditional publishing middleman for its literary adaptations. The platform's second most popular English story, 'Chasing Red' by Isabelle Ronin, is now slated for a direct-to-film adaptation, starring prominent Gen-Z actors Madelaine Petsch and Gavin Casalegno.
Directed by Mackenzie Munro with a screenplay by Lauren Schacher, the production is scheduled to begin in December in Saudi Arabia. The story centers on an enemies-to-lovers trope, featuring Petsch as a driven student and Casalegno as a charismatic college figure.
This initiative follows Wattpad's 2024 release of 'Boot Camp,' their first independently financed film. While the 'After' series, adapted from a Wattpad book, achieved significant box office success, Wattpad is now focused on nurturing its talent and stories from within.
