Scripted

FOX Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America are developing an original scripted horror series inspired by Fear Factor: House of Fear, extending the franchise into vertical storytelling for mobile audiences. The untitled production will comprise 30 three-minute episodes and premiere on Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform. FOX Entertainment Global will handle worldwide distribution.
The project marks the first scripted adaptation of the Fear Factor franchise and the first time an established unscripted television franchise has been extended into an original scripted series. It also represents My Drama’s move into scripted horror as the platform expands its content portfolio.

Set during the preparation week of a horror television production on a remote set, the series follows a practical-effects artist and her crew who unleash a haunted fortune-telling machine. The device subjects them to personalized death trials, forcing the survivors to uncover its tragic origins before it claims everyone they love.
“Fear Factor has always tapped into something primal: what scares us, how far we’ll go and what happens when we’re forced to confront our fears,” said Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted, FOX Entertainment Studios. “Michael Thorn and his network team saw the opportunity to bring this iconic franchise to FOX in a bold new way, successfully introducing House of Fear and the outrageous Johnny Knoxville to a whole new generation of fans. That tremendous response has opened the door to take Fear Factor somewhere it has never gone before: becoming the first unscripted television franchise to make the leap into original scripted storytelling. Our friends at Endemol Shine came to us with an inspired way to do exactly that, turning everything audiences love about Fear Factor into the foundation for a completely original horror story.”

“Few franchises are as naturally built for vertical as Fear Factor,” said Michael Heyerman, EVP, Unscripted Series, Endemol Shine North America. “Vertical storytelling is creating a new language for entertainment, one built on immediacy, intimacy, and serialized discovery, and Fear Factor already speaks it fluently. Our partners at FOX gave the franchise a powerful new life with House of Fear, and we’re proud to build on that momentum. Alongside Holywater, together we’re creating a new generation of horror that doesn’t just fit the mobile screen but uses it as part of the experience.”
“We’re grateful to see our vision of turning My Drama into a trusted platform for studios, creators and IP like Fear Factor come to life,” said Anatolii Kasianov and Bogdan Nesvit, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Holywater Tech. “This is another step toward expanding the audience and helping vertical TV evolve into mainstream entertainment.”