The news is flooded with talk of Trump banning TikTok and Microsoft potentially buying a stake to keep the app on American phones. Meanwhile, Instagram rolled out its own short form video feature, Reels, on Wednesday in an attempt to win over a portion of TikTok’s user base. But now it looks like some of the platform’s biggest stars may be jumping ship in search of greener pastures. Hype House, a collective of TikTok creators who together have more than 150 million followers, just inked a deal with Wheelhouse Entertainment to develop a reality docu-series called The Hype Life, Deadline exclusively reported.
The Hype Life will feature the likes of TikTok stars Avani Gregg (23.7 million followers), Chase Hudson (22.7 million followers), Thomas Petrou (6.7 million followers), and Nikita Dragun (6.1 million followers). The show will be staged as a fly-on-the-wall look inside the inner sanctum of Hype House, a communal mansion in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles where 20 of TikTok’s most influential users gather to collaborate on content. Four members live there full time, according to the New York Times — Petrou, Alex Warren (12.6 million followers), Kouvr Annon (10.8 million followers), and Daisy Keech (6 million followers).
Each episode of The Hype Life will focus on the day-to-day lives of Hype House members, from their creative endeavors to drama-inducing roommate meetings. It’ll also dig into the TikTok stars’ backstories, examining the sometimes troubling or challenging events that led some of the young influencers to leverage the social media platform as an outlet. The Hype Life will also spotlight the bonds the members of the collective have formed with one another.
The deal between Wheelhouse and Hype House is indicative of where the rest of TikTok is headed. Charli D’Amelio, far and away TikTok’s most popular star with 76.6 million followers, is said to be working on her own reality TV series with Industrial Media, the production company behind series like American Idol and 90 Day Fiance. Meanwhile, HypeHouse rival collective The Clubhouse is reportedly developing a show with ICM Partners.
“Hype House is a creative rocket ship, piloted by extremely hard-working, business-savvy young adults who have already built incredible audiences that both platforms and brands can tap into,” Eric Wattenberg, Wheelhouse Group Chief Creative Officer and President of Wheelhouse Entertainment, told Deadline. “Unlike other social media, TikTok leans into singing, dancing and acting, and we think it makes for a natural fit, and an easier lift for these young stars to ally with a company focused on talent across the board.”
