Kumu and Wattpad Partner to Adapt Filipino Hit Kiss Master as a Fan-Driven Streaming Series
Kumu and Wattpad
are tapping into the power of fandom! Kumu, the leading social entertainment platform in the
Philippines, and Wattpad, the global entertainment company and leading web novel platform, today
announced a partnership to adapt Jamille Fumah’s (@JFStories) Wattpad hit Kiss
Master as an
8-episode series for multi-platform distribution. What’s even more exciting is
that through the power of real-time engagement via Kumu’s interactive
livestreams, fans will have the ability to influence the project’s casting,
storyline, and more.
With 7.7 million
reads (and counting), Kiss Master follows young heroine Sussie five
years after Arkanghel Wolfgang broke her heart. The playful bad boy, once head
over heels for Sussie, has since turned into a cold and arrogant billionaire
CEO. Now separated not only by their social status but also personal issues
that could separate them for good, their worlds seem even further apart. But
when Arkanghel reappears in her life and attempts to mend their broken ties,
will Sussie ever be able to forgive her first kiss?
Jamille Fumah (@JFStories) is one Wattpad writer to watch
out for, with 1.5 million followers and more than 30 stories published on the
platform. Fumah has also published five books with Bliss Books, Wattpad’s joint
imprint with Anvil Publishing in the Philippines. Her latest release, When I First Met You, was a National
Book Store bestseller.
The Philippines is
one of Wattpad’s largest markets with six million members and counting.
The country is also a home to some of the platform’s most influential authors
and fandoms, where writers like Abigail De Silva (@CeCeLib), Gwy Saludes (@4reuminct), Tina Lata (@blue_maiden), Maxine Lat Calibuso (@maxinejiji) have amassed millions of reads
and followers.
Modern
Methods for Modern Stories
Making this vision a reality is the team behind
Black Sheep Productions, known for local cinema hits such as Exes Baggage, Alone/Together, Fan Girl,
and Whether the Weather Is Fine.
Their work, both mainstream and independent, has audiences enraptured with
engaging, relatable stories—made even more so now, with the reader-first,
fan-driven nature of the endeavor. “We believe in Black Sheep’s capacity to
adapt this story,” says Angelo Mendez, Kumu’s Chief Content Officer and
co-founder of Kumu. “Listening primarily to the fans isn’t easy, but it’s what
drives Kumu, and we’re confident we can work together to stay true to that
principle.”
It seems only appropriate to bring in more local
talent for the project; Chad Vidanes leads the way as the director while also
working on the hit rom-com series, He’s
Into Her. Bringing the character of Sussie to life is Kaori Oinuma, whose
face may be especially familiar to Kumu users through Love at First Stream; Kyle Echarri, who rose to stardom on
ABS-CBN’s On the Wings of Love, takes
on the role of main love interest, Arkanghel. Throwing a wrench in this romance
is Hugo, played by Joao Constancia, who has worked with Vidanes before and is
known for his role in Four Sisters Before
the Wedding.
An Enduring Partnership
“We here at Kumu
are proud to find capable partners in Wattpad and Black Sheep, both tastemaking
powerhouses that value Filipino creativity as we do,” Mendez adds. “Our
expanded partnership with Wattpad is the next project in a series of
fan-influenced adaptations. We’re excited to work with them to innovate the
future of storytelling through this web series, encourage aspiring writers, and
give the fans the best, heart-warming experience possible."
“Like Wattpad, Kumu
has built a massive, passionate, and engaged community,” says Dexter Ong,
Managing Director, International, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “Working with Kumu,
we’ve already seen incredible engagement in the past year, connecting Wattpad
authors with their fandoms on Kumu. Together, we’re creating a new frontier of
the Creator Economy, developing new ways for Wattpad’s biggest influencers to
monetize their work, and activating built-in fandoms to create on-screen hits.”
The partnership was
developed between Wattpad Brand Partnerships and Kumu, along with marketing
agency Culture Group supporting strategy and commercial negotiation. This is
Wattpad's first Philippines-based Branded Entertainment project, after
launching the new offering in 2021. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios
will produce the new series alongside Kumu.
The collaboration
follows a number of successful campaigns from Wattpad and Kumu in 2021,
designed to bring Wattpad’s Filipino fandom closer to the authors and stories
they love. In 2021, the companies launched exclusive Wattpad livestreams from
the official @WattpadPH account on
Kumu. The weekly Friday “Write With Me” livestream series brought together fans
and aspiring writers to discuss all things storytelling. The successful
livestream series generated more than 200k views on Kumu, and was followed by
the very first Wattpad Fan Fest in October. The multi-day virtual event gave
fans, readers, and authors a chance to celebrate the Filipino Wattpad
Community, complete with writing tips and tricks, appearances from Wattpad
authors, and information about writer programs at Wattpad. Fifty local Filipino
Wattpad influencers have taken part in the partnership to date.
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