Hollywood’s finest — the people accustomed to massive eight-figure checks and exotic movie sets — are now betting on something much smaller: microdramas.
Microdramas are short, scripted series designed to be watched on phones. Episodes typically run just a few minutes, and often feature soap opera-style plots, dramatic twists, and cliffhangers designed to keep viewers watching, and often paying, for the next episode.
The format took off in China before rapidly gaining traction internationally. Omdia estimates that U.S. revenue generated by microdramas is expected to reach $1.5 billion this year. A growing number of apps have emerged to capitalize, including ReelShort and DramaBox, and even TikTok has entered the market, launching its own app, PineDrama, earlier this year.
Now, Hollywood talent is starting to get involved, whether by starring in new series, launching their own companies, or investing in platforms.
It’s understandable. Movie studios are looking for cheaper and faster ways to produce content, and many talent and crew are going without work. At the same time, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are capturing an ever-larger share of viewers’ attention, which is turning microdramas into an increasingly attractive new corner of the entertainment business.
Here are some of the most well-known names getting a slice of the microdrama pie.
James Franco
The latest recognizable Hollywood actor to make the jump is James Franco, who stars in “Love, Lies & Frank,” streaming exclusively on Shortical.
Franco plays the CEO of an advertising agency that becomes mixed up in crime and werewolves. The premise seems to follow a similar formula to most microdramas, and is packed with outrageously dramatic scenes and a forbidden romance.
The project is notable for being one of the first microseries produced under SAG-AFTRA’s new verticals agreement, a union contract specifically for low-budget microdramas. This offers an early glimpse of how the format could create new opportunities for actors and other Hollywood talent.
Beyond that, Franco’s involvement has drawn attention for another reason: The project marks his attempt at a comeback following sexual misconduct allegations and a legal settlement in 2021. Variety’s review of the show wasn’t glowing, either, with the magazine writing that the actor “appears to be sleepwalking through his lines.”
What compelled Franco to take on a microdrama gig is anyone’s guess, but his casting is still notable. It’s rare to see a major actor who has made millions and starred in blockbuster projects headline a small series built for mobile screens.
Issa Rae
Issa Rae may be one of the most natural stars to embrace the microdrama boom. She created and starred in the 2011 web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” which helped launch her career.
In May, Issa Rae’s company Hoorae Media partnered with TikTok’s new PineDrama app to launch “Screen Time,” a thriller about a double date that takes a dark turn when a mysterious person hijacks the television and starts forcing the couples to confront their secrets.
The series quickly became a breakout hit, gathering nearly 75 million views in its first week and becoming the top-performing vertical series on TikTok and PineDrama at the time. It later surpassed 150 million views.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
“Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson is also getting into the business with “Theater Kids Vs. Zombies,” an upcoming musical comedy for vertical storytelling platform aTwist.
The premise is pretty much what the title suggests: A group of theater students finds their high school overrun by zombies, and realizes their best chance of survival is to put on a musical.
Ferguson’s entry could be significant, as this series doesn’t sound much like the romance and soap-opera formulae that dominate microdramas, instead leaning into comedy and theater-kid culture.
Taye Diggs
Not only did Taye Diggs star in a microdrama, he’s getting more deeply involved in the business, too.
In January, Diggs was announced as the star and executive producer of “Off Limits & All Mine” for platform CandyJar. He plays a widowed mogul who becomes involved in a forbidden romance with his best friend’s adult daughter.
More notably, Diggs has launched his own mobile-first, vertical storytelling platform, Microhouse Films, which aims to give filmmakers greater control over how they produce and monetize their projects. Eight projects were included in the platform’s debut launch, including “Tides of Temptation,” a series created in collaboration with Lifetime.
The move is significant because instead of just jumping on the microdrama trend, Diggs is now helping build the space itself.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian’s involvement highlights another way celebrities are entering the market. While the celebrity hasn’t starred in a microdrama yet, she has already put money behind the business, investing in GammaTime alongside her mother, Kris Jenner, and other angel investors.
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