Margot Robbie’s breakout soap storylines are being carved into vertical video episodes by an artificial intelligence tool, triggering pushback from veteran Australian television actors. Production house Fremantle has partnered with RoseBerry Media to reformat archival episodes of the long-running soap for smartphone audiences on the Epis streaming platform.
What Is Coming
Fremantle has licensed its back catalogue of Neighbours to RoseBerry Media to adapt the Australian drama into a vertical microdrama series. Rather than filming new material, the project relies on an AI-assisted editing tool called RedSnapper to recut horizontal broadcast footage into portrait orientation suitable for phone displays. The process strips out slower narrative pauses to produce fast-moving episodes that run between 60 and 90 seconds each.
The adaptation specifically targets Robbie’s tenure as Donna Freedman between 2008 and 2011, transforming multi-week domestic story arcs into rapid-fire digital instalments designed for social media feeds and dedicated microdrama platforms.
Release Date and Where to Watch
The re-engineered Neighbours episodes are scheduled to stream directly on RoseBerry Media’s dedicated app platform, Epis, alongside promotional distribution on major social media channels. While an exact premiere date has not been formally scheduled, the distribution strategy reflects the booming microdrama business model popularized by platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox.
Viewers accessing content in these formats typically watch the initial five to ten episodes free before hitting micro-payment walls. Individual subsequent episodes generally cost between 30c and 50c, with a full narrative binge running up to $40 for roughly 80 minutes of total screen time.
Cast and Story Details
The vertical series centres on Donna Freedman, the character that introduced Robbie to national and international audiences before her transition to Hollywood. Donna’s turbulent arrival on Ramsay Street, her relationships, and high-school dramas form the foundation of the recut narrative.
However, the off-screen reception has proven contentious. Longtime cast members have expressed frustration that historical performances are being cropped algorithmically without prior consultation. In response, Fremantle and RoseBerry Media stated that the RedSnapper production system operates with human oversight rather than automated processing alone.
Why Fans Are Interested
The initiative highlights how studios are attempting to capture shifting viewing habits. According to industry analyst firm Omdia, global microdrama revenues are projected to climb from $11bn in 2025 to $14bn by the end of 2026, with the US market alone forecast to generate $1.5bn this year.
DataEye Research Institute tracked 1.441bn downloads of overseas microdrama applications during the first half of 2026, marking a 79% year-on-year increase. Developed markets including Australia, the US, Japan, South Korea, and Canada generated more than 60% of overseas in-app purchase revenues. Platforms are seeking recognizable Australian IP to retain mobile viewers who spend an average of 35.7 minutes daily on microdrama apps.
- Microdrama
- An episodic scripted narrative filmed or reframed in vertical portrait orientation for mobile screens, typically featuring episodes lasting one to three minutes.
- RedSnapper
- An AI-assisted editing workflow designed to crop and resequence widescreen film and television footage into vertical video formats.
What We Know About What Comes Next
The Neighbours recut follows experimental studio efforts such as Paramount dividing Mean Girls into 23 separate clips for TikTok, and mobile apps reframing Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 silent film The Lodger. Whether Fremantle expands the AI reformatting to other eras of Neighbours or additional legacy television properties remains unannounced, as industry guilds continue to monitor residual rights and royalty structures for AI-reframed catalog content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new Margot Robbie Neighbours release?
It is an officially licensed vertical microdrama series that uses an AI-assisted editing tool to recut Margot Robbie’s 2008 to 2011 episodes of Neighbours into 60 to 90-second mobile episodes.
Where can Australian viewers watch the recut episodes?
The vertical series will be hosted on RoseBerry Media’s mobile streaming app, Epis, with promotional segments distributed across social video platforms.
Did Margot Robbie film new scenes for the project?
No new scenes were filmed. The production exclusively reframes original broadcast footage from her time playing Donna Freedman.
Why are television actors protesting the re-release?
Cast members have voiced concern that classic television performances are being repurposed and cropped using artificial intelligence tools without performer consultation or updated contractual terms.
