‘Christmas At Maple Hollow Inn’ Microdrama Hopes To Channel The Spirit Of Festive TV Movies Through Meta’s Series Feature

EXCLUSIVE: Jonas Barnes’ Pixie USA is launching Christmas at Maple Hollow Inn as one of the first microdrama to use Meta’s new Series tool.

The romantic holiday drama will star Analisa Southworth Wall and Thomas King, and was developed in partnership with the Bob Evans grocery. The aim is to recreate the feel of a festive TV movie as a vertical series.

Blake Studwell directs, with Michael Sokol producing. Filmed in Marietta, Georgia, the family-friendly production will comprise 20 episodes with a total running time of 38 minutes and launches on November 14, as one of vertical series Meta is testing this month, we understand. As such, it will be distributed on Facebook and Instagram, along with YouTube and TikTok.

Wall’s credits include Picture Perfect Sister-in-Law and Mother Warrior Unleashed. King’s television credits include Tyler Perry’s The Oval and County Rescue. Studwell previously directed vertical romances Baby, Just Say Yes! and Falling for My Mafia Bodyguard.

Meta is set to begin testing its new tool, titled Series, which will allow select creators to bundle vertical videos for Reels into episodes on Facebook and Instagram. Meta isn’t commenting on specific titles using the Series feature prior to its launch in certain markets on November 16.

Per the synopsis, Christmas at Maple Hollow Inn follows “a determined young woman who reunites with her former flame to save her family’s inn during the Christmas season. Their last hope rests on a spectacular holiday meal for a group of hard-to-impress investors – but she cannot cook. With the kitchen in chaos and old feelings resurfacing, the pair must find a way to preserve the inn’s future while navigating an unexpected second chance at love.”

Developed around food and holiday themes, the series will feature Bob Evans mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese meals at the center of the story. It marks the food brand’s first scripted holiday season production.

Ciare James, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Bob Evans Farms, said: “This microdrama brings our brand story to life, showing how Bob Evans holiday favorites can make a memorable meal while leaving more time to enjoy the holiday season.”

“Christmas movies have an enduring appeal because they bring audiences into a world of romance, hope and possibility,” added Barnes, CEO at Pixie USA. “Vertical content is reaching tens of millions of people where they are, bringing entertainment directly to their phones. Social media is the new TV, and microdramas are helping drive that shift.

“It’s an industry growing so rapidly that it’s almost hard to keep up. With Christmas at Maple Hollow Inn, we wanted to capture that festive magic in a story people can enjoy on their phones. Analisa and Thomas bring warmth and chemistry to the romance, and Bob Evans felt like a natural partner for a film about family, hospitality and the moments that bring people together.”

This isn’t the first time Barnes has created a microdrama for a brand, having worked with Procter & Gamble om The Golden Pear Affair, which was developed with Native, P&G Studios and Dentsu Entertainment. Barnes previously worked at Neal H. Moritz’s Original Film.