The new vertical video production is set to debut on Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform.
FOX Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America, a Banijay America company, are breaking new ground with an untitled original scripted horror series inspired by the iconic Fear Factor: House of Fear franchise on FOX.
The new vertical video production, set to debut on Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform, marks the first time an established unscripted television franchise has been transformed into an original scripted series.
Created from the ground up for mobile-first audiences, the new production takes the thrills, tension, and terror synonymous with Fear Factor and reimagines the franchise as an entirely original fictional horror story. The series will consist of 30 three-minute episodes.
The project represents multiple new frontiers for the franchise: Fear Factor’s first scripted adaptation; the first unscripted-to-scripted television franchise extension; and a move into scripted horror for My Drama, as the platform continues expanding its content portfolio into new genres.
“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.”
The new vertical series takes place during prep week on a remote horror television set, where a practical-effects artist and her crew unleash a haunted fortune-telling machine that forces them into personalized death trials, leaving the survivors to uncover its tragic origins before it claims everyone they love.
The groundbreaking scripted spinoff comes amid renewed momentum for the Fear Factor franchise. Hosted by Johnny Knoxville, Fear Factor: House of Fear debuted on FOX and Hulu to 17.5 million multiplatform viewers, ranking as the season’s highest-rated broadcast debut and #1 new unscripted series among Adults 18-49. FOX has already renewed the breakout series for a second season, set to premiere during the 2026-27 season.
Fear Factor, a Banijay Entertainment format, has become a global television phenomenon with 32 adaptations worldwide.
The untitled Fear Factor scripted vertical series is produced by FOX Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America. It will debut on Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform with worldwide distribution managed by FOX Entertainment Global. Ian Nsenga and Yuliia Vyshnevska produce, Gabriel Caste directs, and Thom Woodley and Andrew Beck write.
