Taye Diggs is stepping into the fast-growing vertical drama space, marking a notable moment for an industry largely driven by low-budget, smartphone-first storytelling. CandyJar, which positions itself as the first U.S.-based microdrama streaming platform, has tapped Diggs to star in and executive produce a new romance series titled Off Limits & All Mine (working title).
The project places Diggs among the first A-list actors to headline a vertical drama, a format that has already become a multibillion-dollar business overseas—particularly across parts of Asia—thanks to its low production costs and binge-friendly structure. In the U.S., most microdramas have relied on working actors earning modest daily rates, but CandyJar is betting that Diggs’ involvement will elevate the format’s perception and creative ambition.
Off Limits & All Mine centers on a widower who takes in his best friend’s rebellious daughter, only to find himself pulled into a connection that is both dangerous and transformative. The series features a Black ensemble, with CandyJar and its parent company emphasizing their commitment to positioning Black-led romantic dramas at the forefront of the microdrama boom rather than on its margins.
The series is being produced by Inkitt in partnership with Atlanta-based Freeli Films, whose past work includes projects for BET, Starz, Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. Production is scheduled to begin in Atlanta in February.
Diggs’ frequent collaborator J. Carter is serving as lead producer, with Troy Brookins executive producing and Alexandria Collins directing.
Founded in 2013, Inkitt operates as a digital storytelling platform that uses artificial intelligence to identify user-submitted stories with franchise potential. Successful properties are then distributed through the company’s pay-to-read app Galatea or adapted into short-form vertical series for CandyJar. According to the company, CandyJar now averages tens of millions of episodes streamed each month, with millions of active users spending significant daily time on the platform.
With Off Limits & All Mine, CandyJar is signaling a push toward higher-profile talent and more ambitious storytelling, positioning microdramas not as experimental content but as a serious, scalable sector within the evolving entertainment landscape.