What To Watch
11 Movies and Shows That Started as Web Stories and Now Belong on Your Watchlist
From online to onscreen.
By Ashley Lee
Aug. 12, 2026
11 Best Movies and Shows Based on Webtoons, Wattpad Stories, and More - Netflix Tudum
After hours of scrolling through every installment of your favorite web stories — and dropping everything to immediately devour each new release — the news goes viral that your most beloved title is being adapted for the screen. Finally, the text and illustrations that have animated your imagination will come to life as a movie or a TV show.
The devout fans of titles like Heartstopper, The Kissing Booth, Through My Window, and Agent Kim Reactivated know this feeling well. These movies and shows originated as webtoons, indie comics, graphic novels, and Wattpad stories. Go wild for these web stories — action-packed thrillers, time-travel adventures, swoonworthy romances, coming-of-age tales, and more. For even more literature-inspired titles, Netflix has launched Watch Your Favorite Books, a curated collection of book-to-screen adaptations.
Agent Kim Reactivated
Mild-mannered office worker Mr. Kim (So Ji-sub) does his best to raise his rebellious teenage daughter, Kim Min-ji (Seo Su-min). He avoids any and all confrontation and even apologizes on her behalf, but she doesn’t tolerate disrespect. However, when Min-ji suddenly goes missing, Mr. Kim — who is secretly a former special agent — comes out of retirement to rescue her. The Korean action series is adapted from the webtoon Manager Kim by writer Toy and illustrator Jeong Jong-taek.
Bloodhounds
Step into the ring with this Korean crime drama, based on Jeong Chan’s webtoon of the same name. The first season stars real-life besties Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi as Kim Gun-woo and Hong Woo-jin, two former Marines turned boxers who join forces to take down a ruthless loan shark operation. The second season picks up three years later and sees the prizefighters entering the brutal world of an underground international boxing league.
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
This imaginative K-drama is based on Park Kuk-Jae’s web novel Yeonsankunui Chefro Salanamki, and it serves up both time travel and romance. Lim Yoon-a plays a chef who wins a prestigious culinary competition that catapults her to fame. But just as she’s secured herself a future in fine dining, she discovers an ancient cookbook that sends her back in time to Korea’s Joseon era, where she finds herself in a deadly position: head chef to a tyrant king (Lee Chae-min).
Heartstopper
Charlie (Joe Locke) is a recently outed sophomore who’s struggling with bullies and self-worth. He befriends Nick (Kit Connor), a charismatic junior who’s beginning to question his sexual identity. Come for their slow-burn romance — seriously, every two-letter greeting will make you giddy — and stay for the coming-of-age storylines of the entire ensemble. All the episodes of the three-season British series — as well as the follow-up movie Heartstopper Forever — are written by Alice Oseman, the creator of the original graphic novel.
The Kissing Booth
Pucker up for this teen rom-com, based on Beth Reekles’s award-winning Wattpad story. Elle (Joey King) has been quietly crushing on Noah (Jacob Elordi), the older brother of her best friend, Lee (Joel Courtney). When Elle dons a blindfold to participate in a kissing booth for a school fundraiser, she’s surprised by a particularly toe-curling kiss from Noah, and the two begin to secretly fall for each other. Make it a marathon with The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3.
My Happy Marriage
Set in the Meiji period in Japan, My Happy Marriage centers on Miyo (Reina Ueda), who’s mistreated by her father, stepmother, and sister — because being born without supernatural powers makes you contemptible. When she comes of age and meets her powerful husband-to-be, her true self and hidden powers slowly begin to shine. The anime series is an adaptation of the web novels written by Akumi Agitogi and illustrated by Tsukiho Tsukioka, originally published on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō platform.
The Ramparts of Ice
Koyuki Hikawa (Anna Nagase) is a socially withdrawn high school student who’s built up an emotional wall between herself and others. Weighed down by memories she can’t shake, she decidedly keeps everyone at arm’s length — until three schoolmates start trying to draw her out of her shell. Based on Kōcha Agasawa’s popular manga of the same name, the Japanese series recounts their awkward, occasionally frustrating, yet wholesome student life. Season 2 premieres in October.
Susana and Elvira: No Plan B
You are cordially invited to witness the wedding in this Colombian comedy flick. Manuela González (Fake Profile) and Mabel Moreno (The Queen of Flow) play the two former friends who reluctantly reunite in Santa Marta to plan a high-profile ceremony for the hottest artists in town. The hardest part won’t be pulling it off, but rather figuring out whether they can save their friendship. The characters originated from a digital blog and web series created by María Fernanda Moreno and Marcela Peláez.
Teach You a Lesson
School bullies are wreaking havoc on students and teachers alike in this action-packed K-drama, based on Chae Yong-taek’s webtoon Get Schooled. Enter the Teachers’ Rights Protection Bureau, a government agency created to teach respect via sharp, no-nonsense lessons you won’t find in textbooks. Kim Moo-yul, Lee Sung-min, Jin Ki-joo, and Pyo Ji-hoon play the highly trained officials who use unconventional tactics to stamp out bullying for good. In short? They’re not afraid to fight back — seriously.
Through My Window
For years, Raquel (Clara Galle) has harbored a crush on her neighbor, Ares (Julio Peña). When she confronts him for using her Wi-Fi, they’re thrown into each other’s orbits in a whole new way. The steamy Spanish-language film is based on Ariana Godoy’s bestselling novel A través de mi ventana, which originated as a trilogy on Wattpad. Keep the romance going with Through My Window 2: Across the Sea and Through My Window 3: Looking at You.
The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
In this medical K-drama, South Korea’s trauma response care desperately needs improvement, but the powers that be at Seoul’s Hankuk National University Hospital have failed to fund its trauma unit. Enter Baek Kang-hyuk (Ju Ji-hoon), a hotshot surgeon who returns home to Seoul after years of practicing combat medicine. He sets out to establish a top-tier trauma center, help patients, and beat the system. The eight-episode series is based on the webtoon Trauma Center: Golden Hour by Hansanleega and Hongbichira.
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