TikTok funds scripted series

TikTok is backing a new original romantic drama starring Sam Morgan as it pushes deeper into scripted vertical series. (deadline.com) Deadline reported the project on April 13, 2026, describing it as an untitled series led by Morgan and Vanessa Von Schwarz. Morgan plays Andre Voss-Emerson, a Silicon Valley heir who has long loved model Clara Murphy, played by Von Schwarz. (deadline.com) The show is set to launch free inside a newly launched originals section in the TikTok app. Deadline said that most vertical dramas on TikTok are paywalled, making this release strategy a change in how the company is packaging scripted shows on the platform. (deadline.com) Vertical dramas are short, phone-shaped scripted episodes built to be watched in portrait mode. TikTok has been hosting more of them, and this series moves the company from distribution toward direct collaboration on the intellectual property itself. (deadline.com) Deadline reported that the series is produced by 24K Onions, the company founded by American Film Institute graduates Yang Bohan and Sun Tianze. TikTok is serving as distributor and as a collaborator on the property, according to the report. (deadline.com) Morgan is one of a growing group of actors working across these fast-turnaround mobile dramas. His recent credits listed by IMDb include “No Mercy for the Cuckoo,” “The Maid with His Blood: Came Back to Burn,” and single-episode appearances on CBS’ “Blue Bloods” and “Bull.” (imdb.com) TikTok has also been extending creator projects beyond the app. On March 19, 2026, Tubi said it would work with TikTok through a Creatorverse Incubator program to develop long-form original scripted and unscripted shows from TikTok creators for Tubi. (streamtvinsider.com) Tubi said those creator-led originals will premiere exclusively on its service for an initial window, and the company said its creator content is drawing new viewers with a median age under 30. That gives a clearer picture of why TikTok-adjacent storytelling is now moving into more professionalized series production. (streamtvinsider.com) For TikTok, the next test is whether a free in-app originals shelf can turn swipe-speed viewing into repeat audiences for serialized fiction. (deadline.com)