FOX Entertainment Studios and Endemol Shine North America are developing an original scripted horror vertical series inspired by FOX’s Fear Factor: House of Fear.
The as-yet untitled 30×3-minute series will roll out on Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform, with FOX Entertainment Global handling international distribution. It marks the first scripted take on the established Banijay Entertainment franchise, the first unscripted-to-scripted television franchise extension; and My Drama’s first horror series.
“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 at 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 for unscripted series at 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 classic format returned to U.S. network TV with the House of Fear reboot and delivered 17.5 million viewers on FOX and Hulu. A second season arrives during the 2026-27 season.
Ian Nsenga and Yuliia Vyshnevska are producing the new vertical series, with Gabriel Caste directing and Thom Woodley and Andrew Beck writing.
