DramaBox Expands Its Presence in Latam: To Produce More Than 20 Locally Adapted Vertical Microdramas in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil in 2026

DramaBox, one of the pioneering platforms in the short-form vertical content business, announced an ambitious expansion plan in Latin America and Brazil that includes the launch of more than 20 new locally produced titles throughout the remainder of 2026.

“Latin America offers tremendous opportunities, and regionally we are a cradle of storytelling and narratives, so this is something organic and natural,” Marcela Kartaszewicz, Head of Communications at DramaBox, told PRODU.

The plan is already underway. Some of the new productions will premiere at the end of June 2026. The current slate includes five productions in development in Brazil, three in Colombia, and three in Mexico, all at different stages of filming and pre-production. Additional markets, including Argentina, will soon be added.

The first two titles are set to premiere shortly. One of them is His Love Was a Lie, filmed in Colombia and premiering on June 30. It was produced by Albereda Films, with Álvaro Benet serving as producer and Felipe Paredes Garcés as director. The series stars Juliana Franco and Miguel Ángel Álvarez Aristizabal.

The other title will become available on the platform on July 9. Titled Attention, I’m the Boss!, it was produced in Mexico by In-To Films and Dos Ke Tres Films. Ivonne Niño serves as executive producer, and William Barragán directed the project. Mattias Vega and Pamela Cervantes star in the lead roles.

BETTING ON ADAPTATIONS OF PROVEN SCRIPTS

Regarding its content strategy, Kartaszewicz explained that DramaBox initially relies on adaptations of scripts that have already proven successful in other markets—a technique known as “reskinning”—while ensuring a strong local connection, as demonstrated by both productions.

“These are adapted scripts. We are working locally with people from each of these territories, using natural language and native talent from each country.” She also revealed that the company is evaluating fully original stories from the region for future development.

Unlike traditional film or television, DramaBox’s microcontent follows a very specific format: series consisting of 70 to 80 episodes, with each chapter averaging 90 seconds in length, resulting in a complete story that can be consumed in approximately one and a half to two hours.

Kartaszewicz rejected the notion that the format compromises quality, arguing that it is a native language designed exclusively for smartphones.

“It’s an engineering effort created specifically for mobile phones. Every frame is essentially a close-up. Emotions are what drive the story. Scripts are short and concise,” she explained. She added that the physical limitations of the vertical screen shape the entire production approach—for example, scenes generally cannot feature more than three people in a frame because they simply do not fit. For the same reason, productions place less emphasis on interior decoration, since much of it is not visible on screen.

This structure reflects modern viewing habits and attention management.

“When you have a horizontal narrative—whether it’s a movie or a play—you have a first act, second act, and third act. Here, that cycle repeats every 90 seconds. The emotional stakes are extremely high, and it pulls viewers in emotionally,” Kartaszewicz said.

His Love Was a Lie is the first vertical series produced in Latin America to premiere on DramaBox.

A FORMAT THAT IS HERE TO STAY

Far from being a passing trend fueled by short-video platforms and accelerated during the pandemic, Kartaszewicz believes vertical storytelling has become a new branch of the entertainment industry, expanding the boundaries of the traditional business without directly competing with it.

“It’s definitely here to stay. New genres are being created, and the format continues to expand because it is simply a new way of consuming entertainment. This screen reaches places where other screens never did. It goes to bed with you, to the bathroom, accompanies you while waiting for your kids to leave school, and rides with you in the car. In 90-second increments, it fits into any moment of the day,” she explained.

To support this ecosystem, the mobile app (available on iOS, Android, and the web) features a digital library of more than 6,000 original and licensed titles, ranging from classic romance and comedy to AI-driven fiction—primarily science fiction, fantasy, and action—as well as Young Adult (YA) content.

Users can access content through a flexible and personalized model that includes ad-supported viewing, in-app purchases of individual episodes (using virtual coins), or weekly and annual subscription plans.

According to the company, since its launch in 2023, the platform has surpassed 465 million downloads, ranks as the number-one app in several Latin American markets, and maintains a global presence across 175 territories with content available in 16 languages.