Bradley Bell, head writer and executive producer of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” is expanding into the microseries/vertical series genre, creating “Hollywood Starlet” for aTwist (formerly MicroCo), the U.S.-based microseries studio and platform, launching later this summer.
A 16-time Emmy winner for his decades-long career leading the half-hour daytime drama series, Bell’s new series stars vertical veterans Bella Mraz (“Faceless”), Eric Guilmette (“You Belong With Me,” “Tails of Christmas”) and Molly Anderson (“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”), with Guilmette also serving as co-producer.
The new series will be filmed at the iconic Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood, CA, across multiple stages, with Kristen Brancaccio serving as director and writer and executive producers Anthony Ferrari, Oliver Bell, Paxton Fuller and Graham Lawyer. Sunset Las Palmas Studios is the same lot where “The Bold and the Beautiful” now tapes as of August 2025.
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Combining Hollywood storytelling with a tech-first production and distribution engine, aTwist is said to be focusing on delivering high-quality vertical content alongside an engagement-driven platform for dedicated fan communities.
“Brad Bell is one of the most influential creative forces in daytime television, and bringing him into the aTwist universe is a major moment for us,” said Susan Rovner, Chief Creative Officer, aTwist. “‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ has defined storytelling for decades, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with him as he brings that legacy into a new format with ‘Hollywood Starlet.’ We think fans are going to love seeing this world evolve in such a fun, fresh way.”
Bell and his son, Oliver Bell, founded Red Flair Entertainment to specifically focus on elevated vertical series. The elder Bell previously spoke of spinoff opportunities at Bell-Phillip Television Productions, his family-owned company that owns “The Bold and the Beautiful,” though not necessarily with direct ties to the soap opera.
“That’s something we’ve been considering. We’re not in production just yet,” he said at the time. “I’m sure the day will come when we do something specifically for streaming.”
Sonja Flemming/CBS
In addition to Rovner, aTwist is founded by its CEO, Jana Winograde (former President of Showtime) and executive chairman, Lloyd Braun (former Chairman of ABC Entertainment Group, studio and network, and Chairman of WME).
Between them, the leadership team has a proven track record of building iconic franchises, launching global hits, and transforming creative vision into scaled entertainment businesses. Now they are looking to create a home for original verticals across a multitude of genres, including curated and acquired microseries and creator-led, innovative narrative storytelling – building a quality-driven, globally scalable microseries ecosystem rooted in fandom, community, and storytelling excellence.
Working through the pipeline at aTwist, original content that spans comedy, drama, unscripted, horror, and romance that will be built for how mobile-first audiences who are already consuming similar content today. The company is seeking fresh, bold ideas from emerging talent to exciting collaborations with existing IP, brands, and stars. Furthermore, the company is quickly establishing itself as the go-to destination for audiences seeking engaging stories anytime, anywhere, with their soon-to-launch platform built to create community around fandoms, a place where consumers can find stories meant for what they call “joyscrolling, not doomscrolling.”
In addition to its collaboration with Bradley Bell, aTwist also recently announced a partnership with BET to develop and distribute microseries across linear and vertical platforms, with a first-of-its-kind windowing model that brings microseries to television while expanding storytelling rooted in Black culture and community.
At present, there are more than 20 series in production at aTwist across scripted, unscripted and animation formats, with a strong pipeline of series in development.
The studio and its upcoming platform are expected to deliver a slate of originals that advance current microseries offerings, tapping into underserved fandoms across horror, thriller, comedy, drama, anime, sci-fi, and more.
The microseries genre primarily features serialized stories designed for mobile-first viewing that are typically 40-60 episodes of one to three minutes each, built vertically, and consumed either in moments throughout the day or as a binge experience all at once. The fast-growing global category generates an estimated $10 billion annually worldwide.
For more information about aTwist, including how to sign up to receive updates, visit their website.
