Microseries platform FlareFlow rebooting SupermodelMe as vertical reality series
Left to right: Ase Wang, Cindy Bishop and Patricia Gouw
Long-running reality series SupermodelMe is getting the microseries treatment and will be relaunched as a vertical show on streaming platform FlareFlow later this year.
FlareFlow owner, China’s COL Group and producer Singapore-based Refinery Media have teamed up to reimagine the franchise, which was created by Karen Seah and first launched in Asia in 2009.
Created and owned by Refinery Media, the modelling competition series ran for six seasons on platforms including AXN Asia, KIX and Diva Universal and was also acquired by Netflix.
Refinery Media and COL said the deal, announced at FilmArt in Hong Kong this week, marks the first time an established reality IP has been fully “reengineered” for mobile-first episodic storytelling on a large scale.
The new series will be made in Singapore and hosted by Cindy Bishop, the Thai-American television personality who hosted previous seasons of SupermodelMe, alongside returning judge Ase Wang and co-judge Patricia Gouw.
Standout cast members will potentially feature in future microdrama projects within Refinery Media’s expanding vertical slate, the company said.
It comes as Refinery Media is set to launch three other Singapore-produced vertical series: No-Volley Zone, The Housemaid Wife and My Best Friend, My Brother, My Rival exclusively on FlareFlow. More regionally produced titles are set to be announced later this year.
Available in more than 200 countries and regions and supporting 14 languages, FlareFlow claims 33 million registered users worldwide. It has released approximately 5,200 series to date.
It claims its top-performing drama has surpassed 193 million views and generated more than US$15m in in-app revenue.
It comes as proven IP owners seek to monetise their library, with mobile-native platforms emerging as a new distribution outlet.
Timothy Oh, general manager, COL Group International, said: “SupermodelMe is proof that regionally rooted content can carry universal appeal, and this is the first time a franchise of this calibre has made the move to the vertical format on any major global microdrama platform.
“I am excited that FlareFlow is leading that charge. By leveraging COL’s depth of experience in the vertical space and FlareFlow’s global reach, we are creating the right environment for SupermodelMe’s legacy to continue evolving and to introduce the IP to more global, younger, mobile-first audiences.”
Karen Seah, founder and CEO of Refinery Media, described the move as a natural progression for the franchise. “From its early beginnings as an online-only series, evolving into traditional long-form television – and now reimagined for vertical storytelling – each chapter has brought the franchise closer to its audience.
“This partnership allows us to demonstrate how unscripted formats can successfully adapt to vertical storytelling, opening the door for a new wave of micro entertainment.”
Refinery Media’s credits also include Asia’s Next Top Model, The Apprentice: One Championship Edition, Man of the Hour and its first coproduced feature film, Mothernet, set to premiere on Netflix.
