Brat Taps Tween Phenoms Mackenzie Ziegler, Lauren Orlando For Latest Series

Teen-focused digital studio Brat has tapped a trio of young stars for its latest series, Total Eclipse, including Dance Moms personality Mackenzie Ziegler, vlogger Lauren Orlando (1.1 million subscribers), and actress-model Emily Skinner.

The 11-episode series will juxtapose a high school setting with a “fantasy moon world” that lies in the imagination of Ziegler’s character, according to Variety. A release date has not yet been announced. Ziegler (pictured above, center) plays a dreamy teen who is ditched by her friends, while Orlando’s character is a witchy newcomer to town. The series will also star Nadia Turner (pictured above, left) and Musical.ly creator Devenity Perkins. Brat’s originals are primarily distributed on YouTube, where the roughly one-year-old media brand counts 1.3 million subscribers.

“We’re thrilled to partner with such a talented group of young actresses on this ambitious new endeavor,” Brat co-founder Rob Fishman said in a statement. “For the millions of viewers who watch these rising stars on a daily basis, Brat offers classic storytelling and production value unlike anything else available free and online.”

Brat announced a $10 million funding round in November led by A. Capital, with contributions from NBA star Kevin Durant as well as previous investors Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Advancit Capital, and BoxGroup. It was just announced that another popular Brat series, Chicken Girls — which has garnered 100 million views on YouTube to date — is set to be adapted into a feature film at Lionsgate’s Studio L.

Ziegler rose to renown on the polarizing Lifetime reality series Dance Moms alongside her older sister, Maddie — who has appeared in a slew of Sia music videos. Ziegler is also a singer in her own right, and recently co-headlined the Day & Night Tour with Johnny Orlando — Lauren’s brother and a fellow social star. Ziegler will release her first book with Simon & Schuster, Kenzie’s Rules For Life, in May.