Matt Kaplan runs the show at Ace Entertainment—a studio that's basically got the YA world in a chokehold. The guy used to head up Awesomeness Films and has this ridiculous track record for churning out stuff teens actually go nuts for. If you’ve ever seen To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (and honestly, who hasn’t at this point?), that was him. He doubled down with the sequel, and then kept the streak alive with The Perfect Date—Noah Centineo everywhere, as usual—and Spontaneous, which has Katherine Langford trying not to explode. Literally. He’s not slowing down, either. Kaplan’s got his hands all over the Are You Afraid of the Dark reboot—yep, that classic Nickelodeon series, but with a 2020s glow-up. There’s also 10 Blind Dates (based on Ashley Elston’s book), Replica (from Lauren Oliver’s best-seller), and Runaway, which is this wild, true-ish story about a teenager faking out his family and bailing to Bali. The guy clearly has a radar for stories that are both out-there and totally relatable. And if you dig a little deeper into his filmography, you’ll see stuff like Before I Fall, The Lazarus Effect, and Viral. Honestly, Kaplan’s whole vibe is finding these YA stories that aren’t afraid to get messy or weird, but still keep you glued to the screen. He’s pretty much the kingpin when it comes to teen movies and shows that actually get what it’s like to be young right now.
