Fox, Kevin Hart's Hartbeat plan 25 phone-first microdramas

Fox Entertainment and Kevin Hart's Hartbeat will make 25 microdramas designed to be watched upright on a phone.

The deal focuses on vertical series, meaning short live-action stories shot to fill a mobile screen. Deadline detailed the agreement on 13 October.

The launch slate covers 25 titles across thriller, drama and faith-based storytelling. They will be released under three Hartbeat brands: Codeblack, Essence and Revolt. Together, those brands have a combined social following of more than 20 million.

All of the titles will live on My Drama, an app run by Holywater Tech. Holywater is the parent company of the My Drama and My Muse vertical media apps, according to Variety. The titles will be organised by brand inside the app.

Codeblack gets pride of place. It will become the first dedicated branded channel on My Drama. That means its shows get their own home inside the larger service, rather than sitting in a mixed feed.

The structure gives Fox two later steps. Fox Entertainment Studios has a first look at feature film and television projects developed from the verticals. First look means it gets the first chance to develop longer versions before they are offered elsewhere.

Fox Entertainment Global will then sell the vertical series worldwide after their first run. First run means their initial release on My Drama. International sales follow after that window closes.

Fox already knows the platform. It previously invested in Holywater. Fox once described the global vertical video market as an $8 billion market, in a company statement published via FoxFlash.

Hartbeat is not working with one outlet only. It has also struck a similar microdrama partnership with microdrama platform aTwist.

For viewers, this means short episodes first. Longer films or series could follow if Fox takes up its first chance to adapt them.