Earlier this past week new broke out that Crunchyroll, the WarnerMedia subsidiary focused on publishing and distribution of anime and manga, has teamed with webcomic giant Webtoon for a new partnership that will see the two companies develop and produce new animated content based on Webtoon’s catalog of properties.
According to Crunchyroll, the partnership will see both parties develop animated series based on stories found on Webtoon. Each brand will co-produce each series as well as handle distribution, licensing, and retail.
“There is tremendous crossover appeal with our audiences,” Taylor Grant, SVP of IP Development at WEBTOON, said in a new statement, “and exceptional creative synergy on the types of stories we want to tell. We’re excited to partner with Crunchyroll to bring our globally appealing characters to audiences and consumers in new ways, as well as create new opportunities for our talented creators.”
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with WEBTOON,” Joanne Waage, General Manager of Crunchyroll, continued. “WEBTOON has a tremendous catalogue of content and creators that resonate deeply with our audience and we can’t think of a better way to delight fans than by bringing these stories to life through animation.”
Averaging more than 55 million monthly active users — and with a daily readership upward of 15 million — Webtoon has become the top webcomics app for both Android and iOS devices, with thousands of series updated on a regular basis in genres including sci-fi, fantasy and romance comics. The company has previously partnered with Legendary, Top Cow/Image Comics and Lucasfilm since its 2014 U.S. debut. (It originated in Korea in 2004.)
Crunchyroll, meanwhile, boasts 50 million users and 2 million subscribers, and has built a dedicated fan base both through an anime catalog that includes Attack on Titan, Naruto Shippuden and Dragon Ball Super, but also ancillary ventures including Crunchyroll Games and the annual California event, Crunchyroll Expo. Last year, the company announced its intention to create all-new content.
This partnership is an exciting one for fans of WEBTOON who want to see their favorite comics come to life. So far, several other titles published by the brand have gotten TV adaptations with South Korea developing a slew of live-action shows. Cheese in the Trap is one of the biggest webtoon hits to take over Korean television, and dozens of WEBTOON titles have gotten similar treatments since. In fact, news broke recently that The Jim Henson Company is doing an adaptation of Lore Olympus, so fans will be excited to see how this WEBTOON x Crunchyroll deal works out.
Meanwhile, Crunchyroll has been forging other partnerships as well. In September, the global animation platform announced that it would be partnering with VIZ Media Europe Group to bring a wider catalog of content to viewers. Under the terms of the newly announced partnership with Webtoon, the available content catalog will be expanded even further.
Details about the initial series under discussion as part of the deal are expected to be released soon.
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