Skip to main content

YouTube stars as movie stars: YouTube to make full-length feature films this year

youtube videos 2015 popular on a tablet
Image used with permission by copyright holder
YouTube has made a name for itself by steadfastly supporting the content creators that feed its platform, and once again, the streaming video giant is turning to its stars for its next big move. The video streaming giant recently announced five new partnerships, including one that will be responsible for making feature films this year.

Before you get too excited thinking maybe Martin Scorsese has taken his talents to the Internet, know that the movies will be made by established YouTube stars. The feature films are being made in a partnership with AwesomenessTV, which became a part of Dreamworks Animation last year.

“We work with amazing creators to make great short form content on YouTube every day,” said Brian Robbins, CEO and Founder AwesomenessTV. “We think the platform is really ready for long form, so now we will make movies that will star YouTubers and premiere on YouTube. We will turn YouTube stars into movie stars.”

Though it is unclear what these feature films will actually look like, it is clear YouTube personalities are going to be the stars, not Channing Tatum. YouTube is going to premiere the films worldwide before making them available on other platforms. It seems that all the films will be marketed in large part by the enormous following of the YouTube stars involved.

AwesomenessTV was purchased in 2013 for $33 million and has grown into one of the largest multichannel networks for emerging talent. It has more than 112 million subscribers and 77 million views, so it could be seen as a huge launching pad for YouTube stars.

YouTube also stated that it was partnering with the Fine Brothers, Prank vs. Prank, Joey Graceffa, and Smosh — four of their top creators — in making brand new, original content. YouTube stated that it is looking to release its first film this fall, so we expect further announcements soon.

Editors' Recommendations

Steve Smith
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steve doesn’t really like to write about himself in the third person. He’s not The Rock. He is, however, a writer who has…
YouTube launched 17 years ago today with this video
Jawed Karim in YouTube's first video in 2005.

It was 17 years ago on Sunday that a 25-year-old guy called Jawed Karim uploaded the first video to YouTube, kickstarting a service that went on to become the go-to hub for video streaming and giving anyone with a camera and a good idea the chance to make a living out of their own content.

The first video was, it has to be said, nothing to write home about. The low-res, 19-second clip (below), called Me at the Zoo, features YouTube co-founder Karim at San Diego Zoo, helpfully pointing out that elephants have remarkably long trunks.

Read more
YouTube TV finally adds picture-in-picture for iPhone and iPad
YouTube TV shown picture-in-picture atop a web browser on an iPhone.

After months of promises and and extreme patience from customers, YouTube TV finally has added a picture-in-picture feature (also referred to as PiP) for iPhone and iPad. The company confirmed the rollout this week, and it started appearing in the app a few hours later, apparently triggered by a server-side update.

The feature allows you to continue watching a show in a smaller window while doing something else on your device.

Read more
The Weather Channel is coming to YouTube TV
YouTube TV on Apple TV.

The Weather Channel -- which previously had seen relatively small reach on streaming platforms in the United States -- is starting to branch out. YouTube TV will gain the 24-7 weather service this year, according to a press release from Allen Media Group and Google.

The addition is a big deal because The Weather Channel had been limited to two of the smallest streaming platforms -- FuboTV and DirecTV Stream. It also fills a pretty big void in the YouTube TV lineup, which doesn't currently have an all-day weather channel. YouTube TV is believed to be the second-largest streaming service in the United States. It last announced a ballpark figure of "more than 3 million subscribers" in October 2020. It hasn't given any sort of update since then. For context, Hulu with Live TV has a publicly announced 4 million paid subscribers.

Read more