5 Hollywood companies from Fox to Disney that are looking to capitalize on soapy 'micro dramas'

"The flicks, sometimes called "verticals" or "mini dramas," originated in Asia and bear little resemblance to prestige Hollywood fare. Designed to be watched in one- to two-minute episodes on mobile apps like ReelShort and DramaBox, they're more like gaming apps, with cliffhangers meant to hook viewers and get them to pay to keep watching. They're low-budget and usually quite cheesy, with titles like "Fake Married to My Billionaire CEO" and "Divorced at the Wedding Day.""

"The audience and money in micro dramas have become impossible for traditional Hollywood to ignore. Already, players from Disney to Fox have jumped on board and are looking for ways in, often by saying they'll put a more elevated spin on them. Paramount Skydance and ReelShort are exploring ways to co-create. Paramount Pictures worked with ReelShort to promote "Regretting You" in the ReelShort app ahead of its October 24 release. Users of the app could see the movie's trailer and read more about the film."

"Tech and ad companies are getting into the space as well. Meta's Instagram is testing the format in India with a series. TikTok, already widely used as a marketing channel for the format, has pitched companies on uploading entire films to the app. The ad-holding company Dentsu invested in Japan's Emole, the company behind a micro drama app called Bump, through its venture capital arm, Dentsu Ventures."

Micro dramas are short, mobile-first serialized films, often in vertical format, with one- to two-minute episodes designed for in-app viewing and frequent cliffhangers to drive payments. The format originated in Asia and emphasizes low budgets, sensational plots, and rapid episodic hooks rather than prestige production values. Major Hollywood players including Fox, Paramount (with Skydance), Lionsgate, and Hallmark are exploring partnerships or experiments to adapt the format, while studios aim to add higher production or branded tie-ins. Tech platforms and advertisers—Instagram, TikTok, and ad firms like Dentsu—are testing distribution and investment, and apps such as ReelShort, DramaBox, and Bump are leading the market.

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