Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat has inked a vertical series deal with Fox Entertainment.
The deal will see Fox Entertainment Studios have first look rights to developing feature film and television series from vertical series released under Hartbeat subsidiary brands Codeblack, Essence and Revolt, which have a combined social following exceeding 20 million.
Codeblack has partnered with Fox partner Holywater Tech, which runs vertical video platform My Drama, to have its own first dedicated branded channel. Hartbeat’s vertical series will launch on the platform first with Fox Entertainment Global subsequently distributing worldwide after their initial runs.
There are already 25 live-action titles in the works, spanning a range of genres from dramas and thrillers to faith-based content, designed as “the first stage of intellectual property development,” according to the press release. The plan is for stories that connect with audiences to advance into development for film and television, with Fox Entertainment Studios holding the first look.
“Hartbeat has a powerful creative voice and an exceptional instinct for stories that connect with audiences,” said Hannah Pillemer, Fox Entertainment Studios’ head of scripted. “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.”
“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,” said Jeff Clanagan, founder of Codeblack and President and Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat. “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. Holywater Tech brings the technology and platform expertise to deliver that experience the way this audience expects it. Vertical is where those stories start, not where they stop. The culture builds the audience, the audience chooses the stories, and with Fox the stories that win become film and television for the world.”
Last year Hartbeat inked a first-look deal with Fox Corp.-owned Tubi for four creator-driven films including “Sundown,” a supernatural feature written, directed and starring Kinigra Deon.