Cineverse and Banyan Collab on MicroCo

Indie entertainment studio Cineverse is teaming up with Banyan Ventures to form MicroCo — America’s answer to the rising mini-drama boom.

The Little Picture: Mini-dramas — low-budget, bite-sized soap operas that have exploded among Gen Zers and middle-aged women — are wildly popular across Asia, especially in China. Cineverse, Banyan, and their roster of seasoned Hollywood execs see an opportunity to be a “first mover” in America as Chinese apps begin creeping into the market.

Behind The Scenes: MicroCo is betting its shows can hook American audiences in the time it takes to heat up a bowl of leftover pasta.

• MicroCo’s shows will feature episodes only one-to-two-minutes long, with the first batch debuting in early 2026.
• Cineverse CEO Chris McGurk says that his company will put a major emphasis on the tech behind the platform, echoing the targeted, fan-first strategy that helped Terrifier 3 break out last year.
• To pull it off, Cineverse and Banyan have assembled an impressive roster to run MicroCo, including former Showtime president Jana Winograde as CEO and former Warner Bros. TV president Susan Rovner as chief content officer.

Final Credits: The question on everyone’s lips in Hollywood: “Is this the next Quibi?” The Jeffrey Katzenberg-led platform had plenty of hype, cash, and even some solid content — but it stumbled out of the gate, debuting just a month into COVID lockdowns. Some chalk its failure up to bad timing, while others argue the idea never made fundamental sense.

That’s a fate MicroCo is eager to avoid — opting instead for ultra–low-budget content that actually makes economic sense for bite-sized viewing on a tiny screen… even if the shows come with goofy titles like The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband.

Coming Soon: With Hollywood still contracting and thousands of actors, writers, and crew out of work, MicroCo may have no shortage of talent eager to collaborate.