Highlights
- WEBTOON and Warner Bros. Animation announced four new webcomic adaptations, expanding their co-production slate.
- The new series spans fantasy, romance, and YA genres, including titles such as The Wolf & Red Riding Hood and Snow and Briar.
- The partnership highlights WEBTOON’s strategy to turn webcomics into global franchise IPs through deeper co-production involvement.
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. and Warner Bros. Animation unveiled four new animated titles on May 13, expanding a co-production deal. The announcement marks the latest development of their agreement to co-produce 10 webcomics in animated format in November 2025.
WEBTOON CFO David J. Lee and WBA President Sam Register made the announcement jointly at a panel at Web Summit Vancouver 2026. The newly added series are Vampire Family by unfins, The Wolf & Red Riding Hood by XUANN, Snow and Briar (And The Mirror of Seven Sins) by M. Nires, Sable Curse by Little Melon.
No formats or premiere windows have been disclosed for any project under the deal. The new webcomic adaptation slate joins previously announced titles, including Down to Earth and The Stellar Swordmaster, bringing WEBTOON and WBA coproductions to eight developing titles.
The Four New Webcomic Adaptations and WEBTOON’s Animation Bet
The latest additions offer a genre variety, leaning into fantasy, supernatural romance, and YA narrative, genres that are currently dominating streaming animation and digital publishing. These titles contrast with the action-heavy titles the partners first named.
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.
The WEBTOON and WBA partnership targets 10 co-productions from both WEBTOON's Korean and English-language platforms for global distribution. “Bringing together the world-class artistry of Warner Bros. Animation and the vibrant storytelling of Webtoon creates an awesome combination and opportunity to build something special,” stated Register previously to highlight the importance of the deal.
For WEBTOON, the Warner Bros. deal is part of a larger cross-media strategy aimed at expanding WEBTOON’s webcomics into franchise-entertainment IPs. The company has partnered with Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Prime Video for live-action and animation adaptations.
WEBTOON’s popular YA title Lore Olympus secured an animated series adaptation from Amazon MGM Studios in January 2026, further validating demand for digital comic IPs. Previous webtoon adaptations like Solo Leveling, Lookism, and True Beauty helped globalize the format.
Prior adaptations, including Sweet Home and Tower of God, have already reached Netflix, Prime Video, and Crunchyroll. However, the WBA deal is strategic. Rather than licensing IP to the studio or platform, WEBTOON is co-producing, retaining deeper commercial and creative interest in each property adaptation.
