Fox Entertainment Studios has struck a deal with Kevin Hart’s company Hartbeat to mine microdramas for film and television adaptation.
Under the pact, which was announced on Tuesday, Fox will get the first look at any film and television projects derived from vertical series produced under the Codeblack, Essence and Revolt brands. As part of the deal, Fox Entertainment Global will additionally distribute microseries under these labels globally after an initial platform run, essentially testing their popularity with audiences to see if they resonate for further adaptation.
The partnership is kicking off with an initial 25 projects that will be released on My Drama, the microdrama app from Ukrainian company Holywater. (Fox took an equity stake in Holywater in 2025.) As part of the partnership, My Drama is launching its first branded channel, Codeblack, where these series will live.
“Hartbeat has a powerful creative voice and an exceptional instinct for stories that connect with audiences,” Fox Entertainment Studios head of scripted Hannah Pillemer said in a statement. “This partnership gives us an opportunity to identify bold ideas in the vertical space, see what resonates in real time, and give those stories a path to grow into film and television. This strategic, audience-driven approach to developing IP fits naturally with how we’re growing FOX Entertainment Studios.”
With the pact, Fox Entertainment is betting that microdramas can help executives better identify the secret sauce that makes for a popular film or television series. Popular verticals produced under the deal will then move into development for film and television adaptation, with Fox Entertainment getting first dibs on the projects.
The idea is similar to the way that verticals apps like CandyJar and GoodShort use affiliated online fiction apps to test out ideas that resonate with readers, with high performers adapted into microdramas. The typical cost of live-action microdramas ($100,000-300,000 a series on average) certainly makes them lower-risk than a full season of television, which costs far more.
Collectively, Codeblack, Essence and Revolt TV boast more than 20 million social media followers, and their fans will be able to subscribe to the Codeblack channel on My Drama individually or as part of the larger My Drama offering.
“My vision has always been to bring the biggest cultural brands serving our audience together in one destination, and the partnership with Essence and Revolt makes that real,” Codeblack founder and Hartbeat chief distribution officer Jeff Clanagan said in a statement. “Codeblack, Essence and Revolt have spent decades earning this audience’s trust. Now that audience has one home for stories made for them, in the format where they already spend their time.“
Fox Entertainment has been bullish on microdramas in the last few years, more so than several other legacy Hollywood studios. In addition to its work with Holywater, which includes a commitment to produce 200 microdramas in two years, the studio has inked a deal with YouTube hitmaker Dhar Mann to make stories in the format.