New Delhi Jan 27 (.) Fox Entertainment is doubling down on microdramas with a new multiyear deal with ‘Dhar Mann Studios’, the digital studio founded by viral content creator Dhar Mann, to produce a slate of original scripted vertical-video shows, Variety reports.
Under the agreement, ‘Dhar Mann Studios’ will create and produce an initial slate of 40 narrative-driven titles for ‘Holywater’, the microdrama video platform in which Fox Entertainment acquired an equity stake last year.
The shows will debut exclusively on Holywater’s My Drama app, with worldwide distribution windows managed by Fox Entertainment Global. The first series under the deal are expected to launch this spring.
Founded in 2018, Dhar Mann Studios has amassed a multigenerational audience of over 163 million followers across platforms such as YouTube.
The studio focuses on creating “inspirational narrative content” intended to make a positive impact worldwide. Through this partnership, Mann will retain ownership and creative independence over his content.
“Dhar Mann’s inspiring, undeniable storytelling excellence and passionate audience have made him one of the most powerful and consequential voices in entertainment today,” said Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade.
“As leading partners to creators exploring this growing ecosystem, we’re primed to expand Dhar Mann Studios’ reach by super-serving his new and existing fans everywhere with this all-new, original vertical content.”
To date, Dhar Mann Studios’ content has reportedly generated 20 billion views across platforms. The studio operates a 125,000-square-foot, three-stage production facility in Burbank, California.
According to Variety, this partnership marks Dhar Mann Studios’ first official collaboration in the growing vertical-video space. To oversee production, the studio recently appointed Erin McFarlane, a producer and showrunner with experience at vertical-video platform SaltyTV, as head of vertical content.
In a joint statement, Sean Atkins, CEO of Dhar Mann Studios and a former MTV and Discovery executive, said, “As we introduce Dhar’s creative vision to this new format and era of entertainment, it became clear that Fox Entertainment and Holywater are partners that truly understand what this scope of ambition requires.”
The statement added, “Rob and his team are both embracing innovation and investing in it, affording us an unprecedented level of creative autonomy and resources needed to build something that has never been done before at this scale. That combination allows us to reach new and existing audiences in powerful ways while staying true to Dhar’s positive and resonant storytelling.”
Bogdan Nesvit and Anatolii Kasianov, co-founders and co-CEOs of Holywater, added, “We’re pleased to partner with Dhar and Fox to bring this creative vision to our audiences worldwide. This represents the first step in our broader strategy to attract global creators and top-tier talent to vertical storytelling at scale.”
Earlier this month, Ukraine-based Holywater announced its largest financing round to date, raising USD 22 million. In addition to its investment in ‘Holywater’, Fox Entertainment Studios is actively producing a slate of 200 original microdramas and vertical series for the platform and collaborating with other Hollywood studios, talent, and creators to develop projects for ‘Holywater’.
. MI ARN