Culture 3 min read By Morgan Griffin
Fox and Endemol Shine Develop Fear Factor Spinoff for My Drama App
Franchise reality show Fear Factor is getting its first original scripted spinoff, a vertical series that will debut on Holywater Tech's My Drama platform.
The reality franchise Fear Factor is moving into scripted territory for the first time. Fox Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America, a Banijay America company, are developing an original vertical series titled, for now, Fear Factor: House Of Fear. The show will debut on My Drama, the vertical microdrama platform run by Holywater Tech. No premiere date has been announced.
The project is the first time the established unscripted property has produced an original scripted series. Endemol Shine North America owns the Fear Factor franchise, which built its following on stunts and competitions that test contestants' nerve and endurance. The spinoff takes that premise into a fictional narrative designed for viewing on a phone screen, rather than a traditional television set. The move reflects a broader push by rights holders to find new audiences for well-known titles in formats that fit how younger viewers watch video.
Vertical content is expanding quickly, and the format suits short episodes watched on mobile devices. Coverage of the deal notes that the category is attracting more high-profile properties, and it names the gross-out reality show Fear Factor, which has a long broadcast history, among the titles now being adapted for vertical viewing. Fox and Endemol Shine are presenting the series as a serialized drama built for the app, with the untitled production taking the House Of Fear name in its current working form.
The partnership brings together a major network studio, the producer behind the franchise and a platform that specializes in short-form scripted storytelling. Holywater Tech's My Drama app is the distribution home for the series, and the agreement places the spinoff inside a service built around vertical microdramas instead of a conventional linear schedule. For the franchise, the deal extends its reach beyond its original broadcast audience and tests whether a recognizable brand can carry a new storytelling format.
Fox and Endemol Shine have not yet announced casting, episode counts, a production timeline or a release schedule for the series. The title is also still in development, and the companies have not said whether the final name will change. Further details are expected as the production moves forward, and the launch date will be set once the series is ready for release on My Drama.
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