TV industry veteran David Madden, who most recently served as President of Berlanti Productions, has been named Head of Global Entertainment at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, the global entertainment and publishing arm for Webtoon and Wattpad.
Following the 2021 acquisition of social storytelling platform Wattpad by Naver, the South Korean Internet conglom combined Wattpad’s studio operations with those for its digital comics platform Webtoon to create Wattpad Webtoon Studios, committing $100M to the new entity for development and production financing.
Madden, who will report to Wattpad Webtoon Studios’ President Aron Levitz, will oversee development, production, and sales for the company’s growing global TV, feature film, and animation businesses.
“David instantly understood our vision to transform entertainment by listening to fans,” said Levitz. “David has shaped hit projects across every genre, and his experience and expertise are second to none. He’s is the perfect fit for Wattpad Webtoon Studios and we’re thrilled to have him join our team as we bring the world’s biggest comic creators and webnovelists to new audiences.”
Madden exited Berlanti Productions as President of Television in April after a two-year run overseeing all program development and production for the Warner Bros. TV-based company’s television projects.
Prior to that, Madden served as President of Programming, Entertainment Networks at AMC Networks, President of Fox Television Studios; and President of Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Earlier in his career, Madden worked as a producer, winning an Emmy for his work on the 2004 HBO film Something the Lord Made.
“When you’re seeking the most exciting collaborators in the industry, you want the ability to bring them exciting material, and this company offers a virtual gold mine of great stories,” said David Madden, Head of Global Entertainment, Wattpad Webtoon Studios. “Wattpad Webtoon Studios brings together massive global fandoms, data-backed insights, and some of the biggest names in comics and webnovels. I’m thrilled to join an innovative global studio to help elevate a new generation of creative voices, tell truly original stories, and produce worldwide hits.”
Wattpad Webtoon Studios has more than 100 projects in development or production worldwide; it has had recent partnerships with ViacomCBS International Studios, Fremantle, Leone Film Group, Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment, Constantin Film and others.