EXCLUSIVE: Maksim Chmerkovskiy is now the leading man in a vertical drama series. The former Dancing with the Stars pro will star in Wild Silence, Holywater Tech’s latest offering on its My Drama platform.
Marking Chmerkovskiy’s first leading role in a scripted vertical series, Wild Silence is also the first U.S. vertical series to feature a reality TV star in a leading role.
Wild Silence follows Camilla, who wakes up in a remote wilderness cabin after being rescued from a suicide attempt by Jack, a reclusive man grieving the loss of his wife. As they navigate isolation together, the two form a cautious bond that helps them confront their pasts.
The series is produced in collaboration with Alexander Kane, co-founder of Skyframe Films, and directed by Mila Pohrebynska. Deadline can exclusively share a first look at the series, embedded below.
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“Wild Silence was an opportunity to step into a completely different kind of storytelling that is intimate, emotionally raw, and built for the way the majority of audiences are watching shows today,” Chmerkovskiy said in a statement to Deadline on Monday. “This role challenged me in new ways as an actor, and I was drawn to the honesty of the story and the creative ambition behind My Drama. Vertical series are an exciting new frontier, and I’m proud to be part of a project that’s helping redefine what premium, mobile-first entertainment can be.”
Chmerkovskiy is also a professional ballroom dancer, competing with celebrity partners for 17 seasons of Dancing with the Stars prior to his departure in 2018.
In addition to My Drama, Holywater Tech is the company behind the books platform My Passion and AI streaming platform My Muse. Earlier this month, it also acquired the visual effects company Jeynix.
Holywater Tech has been making waves lately within the entertainment industry. In 2025, Fox Entertainment acquired an equity stake in Holywater and entered in active productive on a slate of 200 original microdramas and vertical series for the platform. The company doubled down earlier this year, announcing a multi-year partnership with Dhar Mann Studios announced a multi-year partnership to produce an initial slate of 40 narrative-driven vertical titles debuting exclusively on My Drama.
Last year, Holywater Tech also announced development of its first vertical musical series starring Hannah Stocking.
Said Bogdan Nesvit and Anatolii Kasianov, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Holywater Tech: “We’re genuinely excited about the release of Wild Silence and proud to welcome Maksim Chmerkovskiy to My Drama. His participation sends a clear signal that established talent can start building acting careers in vertical storytelling and see it as a serious, long-term format. Projects like this help us move vertical series into the mainstream — bringing premium content to audiences where they stream the most: on their phones. We’re excited to continue building My Drama as a home for high-profile creators and ambitious new stories.”