Kevin Hart Lands Fox Deal To Turn Short Dramas Into Films & TV

Kevin Hart struck a new deal with Fox Entertainment that could turn phone-screen dramas from his Hartbeat company into films and full-length TV shows.

The lineup starts with 25 live-action shows, with thrillers, dramas and faith-based plots. They’ll debut on a Codeblack channel in My Drama, the video app run by Holywater Tech, under the Codeblack, Essence and Revolt brands.

Fox’s studio got the first chance to develop them into films and longer TV shows. Its global arm will sell the shorts abroad once their first runs on the app end.

The goal is to see what draws fans before making longer shows. The three brands have more than 20 million combined social followers, the companies said.

“Hartbeat has a powerful creative voice and an exceptional instinct for stories that connect with audiences,” Fox scripted chief Hannah Pillemer said in the deal announcement.

The move followed Hart’s defense of cuts at Hartbeat in May. Speaking on “The Breakfast Club,” he said his business had grown too large and needed to cut costs.

“My company was too big. I don’t need 80 people to operate how we’re operating now,” he said. “Downsize. Save the money.”

Hart said the cuts were meant to keep the business running well while he kept making films and shows through his own team. He pushed back at the idea that a smaller staff meant the end of Hartbeat.

In January, Hart took a stake in Authentic Brands Group as part of a deal to jointly own and run the Kevin Hart brand. The partners laid out plans to put his name on more products, digital ventures and live events.

His ties to Fox also predate this latest pact. Fox-owned Tubi announced a four-film Hartbeat deal in October 2025, built around stars who had already drawn fans online.

That deal included “Sundown,” written and directed by Kinigra Deon, who also starred, and “85 South: Dead End,” featuring DC Young Fly, Chico Bean and Karlous Miller. The two firms had worked together before, bringing Hartbeat films and shows to the free streaming service.

Hartbeat also struck a deal with aTwist in September for more than 20 original short shows. That slate included LOL comedies and plans to turn Blake Karrington’s books into series with Upscale Productions. Hartbeat could draw on fans of those books as it sought an audience for its new shows.

The Fox deal’s value was not disclosed. No films or full-length TV shows were named.