Years after Quibi bit the dust, burning almost $1 billion to figure out that it didn’t know how to make short-form content people would like, microdramas are the next big thing in digital entertainment.
And they’re snagging some major content creators to front them.
Second Rodeo, the vertical-first company founded and CEO’d by former MrBeast Creative Director Scott Brown, has signed veteran creator Hannah Stocking to star in its musical microdrama series Playback.
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Stocking now has nearly 30 million followers on TikTok, but got her start on Vine way back in 2013. She now posts across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, with a following of more than 70 million.
Playback follows struggling singer/songwriter Maddie Bryce (played by Amber Laird), who creates an AI version of herself that unexpectedly becomes a top pop sensation. While the AI basks in its newfound fame, “Maddie must navigate the pressures of her dual life while reclaiming her voice and identity in a climactic musical finale about authenticity and courage,” Variety reports.
It’s not clear exactly which role Stocking will play, but she’s listed as a starring figure.
Playback has already wrapped production and will premiere in the coming months on the microdrama streaming app My Drama–which is owned by Holywater, the Ukranian tech firm that recently got backing from Fox Entertainment. That deal, perhaps the biggest investment in microdramas so far, will see Fox produce an “ongoing” roster of more than 200 microdramas exclusively for distribution through My Drama.
In an announcement, Fox said Holywater and its vertical dramas represent “cutting-edge technology and a forward-facing business model to lead the next generation of entertainment.”
While the Fox x Holywater deal is big, it’s not the only move made in the microdrama space. Disney backed DramaBox, which makes 60-to-90-second episodes for popcorn romance series with titles like Fake Dating My Rich Nemesis, I’m Nothing But a Mortal, Pucked By My Brother’s Rival, and Watch Out, I’m the Lady Boss. Then there’s MicroCo, which thinks it can dominate microdramas by cutting humans out of the creative equation.
Brands are even getting involved: P&G‘s personal care line Native is hinging a lot of its 2026 marketing on a 50-episode, soap opera-inspired microdrama called The Golden Pear Affair.
And of course, digital creators are already on top of things. Alan Chikin Chow made waves with his many-episode microdrama-inspired series Beauty and the Beat, which was sponsored by Korean cosmetics/skincare brand LANEIGE.
“Microdramas represent the next evolution in short-form content, and creators are seeing the value and opportunity to reach new audiences in this format,” Brown said about Playback and Second Rodeo’s overall approach to the niche. “By combining narrative depth with mobile-first vertical storytelling, we’re pushing the boundaries of what a microdrama can be.”
While microdramas still see some skepticism–it is, after all, hard to shake the pall Quibi cast–it’s clear Hollywood is ready to invest in vertical video startups, and top talent is signing on.
