Lionsgate Teams Up With Collective Pictures,Brightlight Pictures And Wattpad Webtoon Studios For Film Adaptation Of Kate Marchant’s Hit Wattpad Romance “FLOAT”
“FLOAT” Stars Robbie Amell And Andrea Bang With Sherren Lee Directing and Co-written With Jesse LaVercombe
SANTA MONICA, CA and TORONTO CAN – Global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF: B) announced today that it is partnering with Collective Pictures, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, and Brightlight Pictures on Float, based on KateMarchant’s hit Wattpad romance of the same name. Andrea Bang (Kim’s Convenience, Luce) stars alongside Robbie Amell (The Flash, The Babysitter, The Duff), who is also producing.
The film, which began shooting last week in Vancouver, is directed by Sherren Lee (Kim’s Convenience, The Things You Think I’m Thinking) and written by Lee and Jesse LaVercombe. Lee marks her feature directorial debut with Float, putting a new spin on the Wattpad sensation with 26 million reads from fans all over the world. Float adds to the growing family of Wattpad-originated film adaptations such as the hit After franchise. The Kissing Booth, from Netflix and Komixx Entertainment, also started as a Wattpad story.
The exciting and diverse ensemble cast includes Andrew Bachelor (Greenland, Vacation Friends), Rukiya Bernard (Van Helsing, Nancy Drew), Michelle Krusiec (Hollywood, Hawaii Five-O), Sarah Desjardins (Riverdale, Van Helsing), Ghazal Azarbad (Kim’s Convenience, Charmed), and Tristan Arthurs (Kung Fu).
In a spontaneous act of defiance, pre-med bound Waverly (Bang) makes a summer detour to a sunny beach town, where she finds herself dragged into the riptide of a stubborn but charming local named Blake (Amell). Things heat up when Blake learns Waverly can’t swim and offers to teach her. Surprisingly, the two seemingly opposites start to fall in love and Waverly has to decide between her pre-planned future or following her heart.
A key element of Lionsgate’s slate strategy involves teaming with partners and filmmakers on projects specifically curated for a variety of distribution strategies. Through these collaborations, Lionsgate is focused on delivering a pipeline of films in a wide range of genres,
including action, thriller, comedy, romance, and horror, with each tailored toward distribution platforms that best suit its audiences. Lionsgate is handling global sales with Elevation Pictures distributing in Canada.
“As a romantic myself, I want audiences to believe in love and that summer romances don’t only happen in the movies. I also want young Asian women to be able to see themselves represented on screen in a film for all audiences,” said Lee. “I’m so grateful to Kate to have created this love story grounded in the theme of belonging, and allowed me to bring a piece of myself to this adaptation.”
Lauren Bixby, Lionsgate’s vice president, Co-Productions and Acquisitions, said, “Float is the kind of magical adventure that’s possible when you open yourself up to new experiences and possibilities. That’s as true for us as filmmaking partners as it is for the characters in the film.
The chemistry between Robbie and Andrea is undeniable and we can’t wait to share Float with audiences everywhere.”
“Float is already a phenomenon,” said Aron Levitz, President at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “This is a project with millions of reads on Wattpad and a passionate global fanbase who can’t wait to see Float on screens everywhere. We’re thrilled to be working with Lionsgate and incredible talent like Andrea, Sherren, and Robbie to bring this project to life.”
“With Sherren directing and Andrea starring, we’re proud to have exceptional Asian-Canadian talent bringing this much-anticipated love story to life and paving the way for a more inclusive industry, in front of and behind the camera,” said Jeff Chan, founder of Collective Pictures. “Our incredible partnership with Lionsgate and Wattpad furthers our mission to elevate diverse stories and storytellers as we reach audiences across the globe.”
“Brightlight Pictures is proud to be working with a talent like Sherren, who is bringing both an authentic and personal take on a classic love story to life,” added Aaron Au.
Float is produced by Collective Pictures’ Jeff Chan, Robbie Amell, Chris Paré, and Matthew Kariatsumari, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios’ Aron Levitz, and for Brightlight Pictures Aaron Au and Shawn Williamson. Wattpad’s Allen Lau and Jamie D. Greenberg, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios’ Eric Lehrman and Lindsey Weems Ramey, and Jordan Nahmias, Emily Alden, Noah Segal, Sandra Desrosiers Karr will executive produce.
Andrea Bang is best known for playing Janet on CBC’s KIM’s CONVENIENCE, which has earned her multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy. Her film credits include ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, opposite Judy Greer, and LUCE, opposite Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer. Coming up next, Andrea stars in an upcoming Legendary thriller. She also recurs in the ABC drama, A MILLION LITTLE THINGS.
Sherren Lee makes her feature-length directorial debut with Float. Her award-winning short film THE THINGS YOU THINK I’M THINKING has screened at over seventy film festivals around the world, including SXSW, Slamdance, and Outfest LA. It was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and has over 2 million views on YouTube’s Omeleto Channel. She most recently co-wrote the anticipated sequel to the sci-fi hit CODE 8 for Netflix. She is represented by Echo Lake Entertainment and Harrison Artists Management.
About Lionsgate
Combining the STARZ premium global subscription platform with world-class motion picture and television studio operations, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) brings a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. Its film, television, subscription, and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 17,000-title library and the largest collection of film and television franchises in the independent media space. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for the audiences it serves worldwide.
About Wattpad WEBTOON Studios
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios brings together technology, a diverse new generation of creators, and passionate global fandoms to create data-backed, audience-driven TV shows, films, and books. Leveraging incredible stories and insights from WEBTOON and Wattpad’s combined audience of more than 166 million people, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios has pioneered a bold, global, fan-first approach to entertainment. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios has worked with Netflix, Sony Pictures Television, Crunchyroll, The Jim Henson Company, Vertigo Entertainment, Constantin Film, Penguin Random House, and many other leaders in entertainment and publishing.
About Collective Pictures
Based in Toronto, Canada, Collective Pictures is the production company behind Code 8, the 2020 feature film which broke VOD records and became an international success on Netflix, hitting the #1 streaming spot in the US, UK, Brazil, Australia, and many other territories. Propelled by this success, Collective Pictures is now partnered with Lionsgate and Netflix for their upcoming productions – Float and Code 8: Part II. Collective puts the voice of their artists at the forefront to ensure the best stories are told in the most supportive environment. Learn more at www.collective.ca.
About Brightlight Pictures
Brightlight Pictures develops, packages, and produces independent feature films and television projects. Since launching in 2001, Brightlight has produced more than 100 film and television productions, including WHITE NOISE, 50 DEAD MEN WALKING, COLOSSAL, and SUMMER OF ’84.
The team is currently working on a variety of film and television projects including “Firefly Lane” for Netflix and the critically acclaimed drama series “The Good Doctor ” for ABC and Sony Pictures Television.
