Fox claims unscripted-to-scripted first as Fear Factor spin-off adapted for mobile

Johnny Knoxville’s reality series Fear Factor: House of Fear

Fear Factor: House of FearFox Entertainment Studios (FES) and Endemol Shine North America (ESNA) have announced an as-yet-untitled vertical horror series inspired by Fox reality competition format Fear Factor: House of Fear.

Michael Heyerman

The mobile-first project will debut on Fox-backed Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform, with Fox claiming it is the first time an unscripted TV franchise has been turned into an original scripted series.

The 30×3’ series is being produced by FES and ESNA, a Banijay America company. The story takes place during prep week on a remote horror television show set, where an effects artist and her crew unleash a haunted fortune-telling machine that forces them into personalised death trials.

It is inspired by Fear Factor: House of Fear, the Johnny Knoxville reality series which debuted earlier this year and is a spin-off from stunt/dare game show Fear Factor.

Michael Heyerman, exec VP, unscripted series at ESNA, said: “Vertical storytelling is creating a new language for entertainment, one built on immediacy, intimacy and serialised 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.”