Erik Gruenwedel

October 14, 2026

Fox Entertainment and Hartbeat have announced a multi-faceted partnership that leverages new, original vertical series as a development pipeline for film and television content.

The partnership pairs Codeblack’s record of building film and television businesses for underserved audiences with Fox Entertainment’s studio operations, worldwide sales organization and growing vertical video ecosystem. It also extends vertical storytelling beyond its traditional concentration in romance, opening the format to multicultural, faith-based and genre-driven series built as the starting point for larger franchises.

Under the agreement, Fox Entertainment Studios will have a first look at feature film and television series projects developed from vertical series released under Hart’s Codeblack, Essence and Revolt brands. Fox will distribute the vertical series worldwide following each title’s initial platform run.

The pipeline launches with a slate of 25 live-action titles, spanning thriller, drama, and faith-based storytelling. The series will premiere on a new Codeblack-branded destination on My Drama, the vertical video platform from Fox’s strategic partner Holywater Tech. Built by Holywater Tech, it is the first dedicated branded channel on My Drama, and users will be able to subscribe to it on its own or access it as part of the broader My Drama service.

With a combined social following exceeding 20 million, Hart’s brands bring established, engaged audiences to the partnership. These brands will program the My Drama channel with original verticals and direct their communities to the new content, giving each new series a built-in audience from day one.

“Hartbeat has a powerful creative voice and an exceptional instinct for stories that connect with audiences,” said Hannah Pillemer, head of scripted, Fox Entertainment Studios. “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.”