Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat has signed a major partnership with Fox Entertainment to turn short vertical series into full-length films and TV shows. The deal, announced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, gives Fox Entertainment Studios the first look at feature film and television projects developed from vertical series released under Hartbeat’s Codeblack, Essence, and Revolt brands. The partnership kicks off with an initial slate of 25 live-action titles spanning thriller, drama, and faith-based storytelling.
What the Deal Actually Means
Under the agreement, Fox Entertainment Studios will have the first opportunity to develop feature films and television series from vertical series produced by Hartbeat’s three subsidiary brands. These short-form series will premiere on My Drama, the vertical video platform run by Fox’s strategic partner Holywater Tech, before Fox Entertainment Global distributes them worldwide after their initial platform run.
The Codeblack, Essence, and Revolt brands together have a combined social media following of more than 20 million people. These established audiences will be directed to the new content, giving each series a built-in viewership from the start.
A First for My Drama
Codeblack will become the first dedicated branded channel on My Drama. Users will be able to subscribe to the Codeblack channel on its own or access it as part of the larger My Drama service. The channel will feature original vertical series, with Codeblack programming and directing its communities to the new content.
“This partnership pairs Codeblack’s record of building film and television businesses for underserved audiences, and the cultural reach of the Essence and Revolt brand, with Fox Entertainment’s studio operations, worldwide sales organization and growing vertical video ecosystem,” the companies said in a joint statement.
How the Vertical-to-TV Pipeline Works
The vertical series under this deal are designed as what the companies call “the first stage of intellectual property development.” Stories that connect with audiences in the short-form vertical format will move into development for traditional film and television, with Fox Entertainment Studios holding the first look at those projects.
The typical cost of live-action microdramas runs between $100,000 and $300,000 per series, making them a much lower-risk way to test ideas compared to a full season of television, which costs far more. This approach allows Fox and Hartbeat to see what resonates with real audiences before committing to longer formats.
What Fox and Hartbeat Leaders Are Saying
“Hartbeat has a powerful creative voice and an exceptional instinct for stories that connect with audiences. 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.” — Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted at 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. 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.” — Jeff Clanagan, Founder of Codeblack and President and Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat
“We’re excited to launch My Drama’s first dedicated branded channel with Codeblack, creating a new way to introduce its incredible content to even broader audiences in the vertical space while giving its established fan base a destination built specifically for them. It’s an exciting next step for My Drama as we continue to expand the platform and create new ways for brands and creators to connect directly with audiences.” — Anatolii Kasianov and Bogdan Nesvit, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Holywater Tech
The Bigger Picture for Hartbeat and Fox
This deal is part of a growing push by Hartbeat into the vertical video space. In September 2026, Hartbeat announced a partnership with aTwist, a microdrama platform founded by veteran TV executives Jana Winograde, Susan Rovner, and Lloyd Braun, to produce more than 20 original microseries. One of those titles, “Trapstar: Queen of the Game,” a crime drama series from Hartbeat, Upscale Entertainment, and Codeblack Life, launched on aTwist in late September.
Fox Entertainment has been making its own moves in the vertical space. In October 2025, Fox acquired an equity stake in Holywater Tech, the Ukrainian company behind My Drama, as part of a deal to produce more than 200 microdramas over two years. In January 2026, Fox also signed a deal with creator Dhar Mann for a 40-title microdrama slate.
The partnership extends vertical storytelling beyond its usual focus on romance, opening the format to multicultural, faith-based, and genre-driven series built as starting points for larger franchises.
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The Bottom Line for Viewers
For audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and around the world, this means more short-form series will launch on My Drama first, with the most popular ones later becoming full-length films or TV shows on Fox platforms. Viewers can subscribe to the Codeblack channel on My Drama as a standalone option or as part of the broader My Drama service.
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