Another big move in the North American webtoon industry, as the #1 home of vertical scrolling comics Wattpad WEBTOON Studios is rebranding as WEBTOON Productions. With this change comes a reorg: David Madden has been promoted to President of the production company and Maximilian Jo has been named Vice President, Head of Strategy for the company’s Global IP Business team. Tina McIntyre has also been named Head of the newly-formed WEBTOON Consumer Goods division. They will all report to WEBTOON Entertainment Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON, Yongsoo Kim.
“At WEBTOON Entertainment we’re transforming storytelling and entertainment for fans and creators all over the world,” said Kim, in a statement. “Our platforms are a staple of Gen Z culture and our entertainment teams are working with some of the most exciting voices in Hollywood. We have hits on every global streaming platform, and people all over the world know that WEBTOON means incredible content and passionate fandoms. Our rebrand as WEBTOON Productions highlights our global WEBTOON brand, signaling the incredible format, creator voices, and world-class IP that makes up our ecosystem. With the leadership of some of the most talented executives in the industry, we’re here to usher in a new era of entertainment and bring more WEBTOON adaptations to the North American market.”
The moves are aimed at recentering WEBTOON’s North American entertainment and IP business. That business is already quite busy with projects including the Tubi #1 film Sidelined: The QB and Me; Mala Influencia, which debuted at #1 in 40 countries following its May 2025 Netflix release; and Through My Window (A través de mi ventana), based on Ariana Godoy’s bestselling Wattpad webnovel.
Future projects include the Tubi Originals Sidelined 2: Intercepted and Kissing is the Easy Part; an adaptation of Sigue Mi Voz, set to hit theaters in September 2025; an animated adaptation of Lore Olympus with The Jim Henson Company; “Death of a Pop Star” with Oscar winner Diablo Cody and Oscar-nominated producer Mason Novick; and “Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell” with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the webtoon industry, with Kakao/Tapas reorganizing and shutting down Radish. Webtoon, which is owned by Korean tech company Naver, went public last year but stock prices have stagnated. The former head of Webtoon’s NA activities, Michael Lee, left the company four months ago. Michael Song, the Matthew Belloni of the scrolling comics industry, surveyed the state of the industry here and more has happened since. Despite the turmoil, webtoons remain a powerful platform globally, with billions of views – they aren’t going anywhere, and neither is WEBTOON.
With all that in mind, here are the new roles at WEBTOON Productions:
As President of WEBTOON Productions, Madden will continue to oversee the development, production, and sales for the company’s US and international feature film, TV, and animation slate of adaptations from WEBTOON and Wattpad. He joined Wattpad WEBTOON Studios in 2022 as Head of Global Entertainment, developing hit projects that bridge traditional Hollywood and creator-driven storytelling. Madden is an esteemed entertainment industry executive, having held roles at some of the world’s most important entertainment companies, including President of Programming, Entertainment Networks at AMC Networks; President of Fox Television Studios; President of Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Company; and President of Television for Berlanti Productions.
In Jo’s new appointment as VP, Head of Strategy for the Global IP Business, he will develop new strategic initiatives for WEBTOON Productions and WEBTOON Entertainment’s global IP ecosystem. Jo joined WEBTOON in 2021 as General Counsel and was appointed to the concurrent role of Corporate Secretary in 2024. Prior to joining WEBTOON, Jo served as General Counsel for Yeezy and General Counsel & Head of Business & Legal Affairs for CJ Entertainment America, the US-division of Korea’s largest entertainment conglomerate.
In other changes, Tina McIntyre has been named Head of the newly-formed WEBTOON Consumer Goods division. Reporting to WEBTOON Entertainment Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global WEBTOON, Yongsoo Kim, McIntyre will oversee the company’s publishing business, including the Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group of imprints, as well as the merchandising and licensing teams. WEBTOON Entertainment relaunched its WEBTOON Shop online retail destination in 2024, offering new and expanded merchandise from some of WEBTOON’s biggest series and creators.
McIntyre’s career in marketing and publishing has included roles at Scholastic; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; and Hachette, leading campaigns for iconic brands such as the Twilight Saga, Goosebumps, and Gossip Girl, developing digital strategies for Harry Potter, and working with bestselling authors James Patterson, Julie Andrews, and Patrick McDonnell. She served as VP, Marketing for the former Wattpad WEBTOON Studios before being named SVP, and Head of Global Publishing in 2023.
