Nicely, Canyon enter vertical video space with dual-format romance production

A Secret Royal Romance was filmed in Oklahoma

LA-based Nicely Entertainment is expanding into the microdrama market with its latest original movie, testing a dual-format production model designed to serve both traditional platforms and vertical video audiences.

The company has partnered with US prodco Canyon Productions on A Secret Royal Romance, a romance project produced simultaneously as both a conventional 16:9 feature-length television movie and a 9:16 vertical microdrama.

It marks Nicely Entertainment’s first move into the vertical storytelling space, as producers and distributors increasingly experiment with content tailored for shortform mobile viewing platforms.

The companies said the production was structured to create distinct versions of scenes for each format, with pacing and coverage adjusted to suit traditional television and vertical viewing environments while maintaining the same core narrative.

The film stars Alexandra Harris and Robert Palmer Watkins and was directed by Roberta Sparta, whose background includes both longform and vertical-format productions.

It was filmed on location in Chandler, Oklahoma, and follows a princess living undercover in a small town while forming a relationship with a medical researcher struggling to secure funding for his work.

Executive producers on A Secret Royal Romance include Nicely Entertainment CEO Vanessa Shapiro and Canyon Productions CEO Shawn Boskie.

The hybrid model reflects a broader shift in the content business as studios and independent producers look for ways to extend the value of IP across multiple distribution ecosystems.

“As viewing habits continue to evolve, projects that can live across both traditional and vertical platforms are becoming increasingly important,” said Shapiro, while Boskie said the project implements a “fresh production approach.”