‘Rip Jabari’ series brings stage hit to vertical screens in 2027
Wellmoney Productions and Studio Null Theory LLC are producing the vertical webseries that adapts the theatrical story for mobile-first audiences. The project targets platforms including TikTok and Instagram Reels with short-form content designed for vertical screens. This expansion follows the original play's recognition and moves the narrative into an episodic format suited to contemporary viewing habits.
The series centers on best friends and roommates Chiara and Elijah who receive a prototype AI robot replicating their late friend Jabari through a space company contest. The premise initially presents a second chance at friendship but shifts into explorations of grief, memory, identity and the boundaries between human connection and technology. Mockumentary elements, direct-to-camera confessionals and vlog-inspired segments frame the everyday lives of the three roommates.
The stage production Rip Jabari You Would’ve Loved the Apple Dance was written by and starred Arianna Wellmoney under the direction of Bradly Valenzuela. At the 2025 Off-Off-Broadway BroadwayWorld Awards the play won Best Play, Best Production, Best Performer for Arianna Wellmoney and Best Director for Bradly Valenzuela. Kiamba Doyling and Christian Prins Coen received performer nominations for their work in the original production.
Arianna Wellmoney plays the character Chiara in the upcoming series. Christian Prins Coen takes the part of Elijah while Kiamba Doyling embodies Jabari. The director is Bradly Valenzuela and the producers are Arianna Wellmoney together with Christian Prins Coen. Scripts for the episodes are being written by Wellmoney and Valenzuela as they adapt the original theater work for the vertical screen format. Wellmoney Productions along with Studio Null Theory LLC are the companies behind the production. The tale revolves around Chiara and Elijah getting an AI robot version of their deceased friend Jabari via a contest from a space company. This opportunity appears to offer another shot at their friendship yet turns into an examination of loss, recollection, self and the divide separating people from machines. The presentation uses mockumentary approaches along with confessionals aimed straight at the camera and segments styled like vlogs.
The plan for the vertical version calls for roughly ten episodes made up of short segments made to suit mobile screens. This format takes the characters and initial idea further by using a series of episodes that mix the stage crew's background with what vertical technology can do. The whole project is now being prepared and set to come out in 2027. It brings the unique mix of humor, feeling and unusual narrative style to viewers who prefer content on their phones through services like TikTok and Instagram Reels. The adaptation builds on the stage version's achievements by taking the world of the play into this fresh way of telling stories over multiple short parts.
