Microdramas, vertically shot series with episodes lasting under two minutes, are expanding fast in Hollywood. U.S. viewership has more than doubled over the past year to 66 million monthly active users.
DR reported on August 19, 2026, that the format known as microdramas is surging in Los Angeles. The series are shot with professional actors in film studios, but filmed vertically for phones. Each episode runs under two minutes and goes straight to the plot.
The reporting is based on Reuters, which published its account on August 18. Figures from the analysis firm Omdia show 66 million monthly active users in the United States, more than double the level a year earlier. Per Reuters, that is up from 26 million in 2024.
Reuters also reported that the format is expected to generate about $1.5 billion in U.S. revenue this year and close to $2 billion next year. According to Reuters, microdramas are one of the few parts of Hollywood showing real growth, while traditional genres struggle with their finances.
The episodes are typically watched on phones and resemble TikTok videos. As with TikTok, the trend originates in China, where several apps already stream the format. DR’s China correspondent, Philip Róin, has previously reported on the phenomenon, and said he was himself offered a role in a microdrama.
Several American actors and filmmakers have moved into the genre. Issa Rae, who created and starred in the HBO series Insecure, has made the microdrama Screen Time. DR noted it launched on platforms including TikTok and drew millions of viewers, and that its TikTok profile lists 57 episodes.
Cost is a central part of the appeal. Reuters reported that a microdrama of 50 to 75 episodes can be produced for roughly $2 million, compared with about $20 million for a half-hour sitcom. Actor Robert Palmer Watkins told Reuters the format has completely changed his financial circumstances.
According to DR, Watkins sees the format as a source of hope for actors after production fell during the coronavirus crisis and artificial intelligence raised concerns about future work. Reuters video coverage added that microdramas are creating jobs even as Hollywood contracts, and that some producers are using generative AI.
Lily Darragh Harty, production chief at the microdrama company CandyJar, told Reuters the success rests on the classic cliffhanger structure, packaged as briefly as a social media clip. She said viewers are placed directly in the middle of the story. CandyJar mainly produces romantic series, and says nearly all of its subscribers are women.
The Associated Press reported in June 2026 that major studios and stars were entering the microdrama race, as mobile-first storytelling drew wider industry attention.
