If you thought the world of YA romance had already peaked, think again—because Madelaine Petsch and Gavin Casalegno are here to turn up the heat in the upcoming adaptation of ‘Chasing Red.’
Based on Isabelle Ronin’s massively beloved Wattpad phenomenon, this story has already taken the online world by storm—and now it’s ready to capture hearts on screen. Mackenzie Munro will direct from a screenplay by Lauren Schacher, with Greg Silverman and Grant Torre of Stampede Ventures producing together with David Madden and Jason Goldberg of Webtoon Productions.
Madelaine Petsch, known for her sharp intensity on ‘Riverdale,’ steps into the role of Veronica, a fiercely guarded straight-A student determined to keep her life under control—and her heart under lock and key. Caleb, played by ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty‘ breakout Gavin Casalegno. Charming, persistent, and the campus heartthrob everyone seems to adore, Caleb is the last person Veronica wants to fall for…and exactly the one she can’t resist.
Their slow-burn chemistry is the beating heart of the story—full of tension, vulnerability, and the kind of sparks that ignite entire fandoms.
Chasing Red isn’t just another romance. It represents the evolution of digital storytelling—how a community-driven story can turn into a multimedia franchise and, now, a much-anticipated film. Fans who’ve followed Veronica and Caleb from the early Wattpad days are finally getting the cinematic payoff they’ve been dreaming about.
Before Chasing Red became a cultural moment, it lived on Wattpad, where readers devoured every chapter. The book is officially the platform’s second most-read English title with over 261 million reads, a staggering achievement that reflects just how deeply fans connected to Veronica and Caleb’s story.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the hot new project has pre-sold worldwide, with Amazon picking up rights in multiple international territories.
Mister Smith Entertainment is handling international sales for the project and has closed deals for much of the world, with Amazon Prime Video taking the film for the U.K., Canada, Australia/New Zealand, France and Benelux; Capelight acquiring Germany; Leone Film Group taking Italian rights; Sun/Diamond handling Latin America, Spain, Portugal and South Africa; and Svensk taking the film for Scandinavia among other deals.
