From KYNGS KEY to HEY FRENNN: Inside Ryan Lowery and George Lott’s New Chapter.

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Drama used to live on your TV. Now it lives in your feed.

Vertical series, short-form shows made for your phone, are reshaping entertainment, giving creators a new way to tell stories and audiences a new way to experience them. Ryan Ashley Lowery and George Lott are leaning into that shift with KYNGS KEY, their new production company, and its debut project, HEY FRENNN, a scroll-stopping series designed to pull you right into the group chat.

Two Different Roads, One Destination

Lowery’s path to producing was anything but linear. After a knee injury changed his plans to play basketball at Florida State University, his curiosity took him from investment banking in New York to high-fashion modeling, acting, producing, and eventually academia.

He earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate in Real Estate in the program’s more than 40-year history.

“I think a lot of people talk about following your passion,” he says. “I say, follow your curiosity because your curiosity can lead to your passion.”

That curiosity eventually led him behind the camera, where he began producing and directing through Ryan Ashley Productions, creating stories he wanted to see in the world. “After that 13-year journey, [I’m] finally glad to say that I’m officially Dr. Ryan Lowery I really created the life that I wanted.”

Lott’s path to production was shaped by a different kind of turning point. After losing both of his parents months apart in 2023, following the loss of two siblings, he found himself searching for purpose. That purpose came through helping other people. Through The WHOA Agency, which stands for Working Hard on Achievements, Lott began coaching and developing actors, helping them navigate representation, training, casting, and their careers.

“The WHOA Agency saved my life because it made me have to be important to other people. So that was a reason to be here.”

What started as a new direction in his career became something much bigger. Lott realized he could use what he had already learned to help other people find their own way. Their paths eventually crossed creatively, and what started as collaboration became a partnership.

Building KYNGS KEY

Lott and Lowery had already worked together on projects including F Boy Free before formalizing their partnership through KYNGS KEY.

“Ryan and I we were already building this universe simultaneously years and years ago,” Lott says. “We were working on a project called F Boy Free, which is the beginning of this journey, which launched into where we are now.

”The name itself came from their friendship. They already called each other “King George” and “King Ry,” which led to the idea of two kings building their own creative castles and eventually combining them.

“When Ryan greets me, he’s like ‘King George,’ my ‘King Ry.’ We already call each other kings So I was like, we call each other king, and then the king has a castle. They have keys, and we’re like, oh, KYNGS KEY.”

The idea is bigger than just the two of them. They describe it as two people who had been building their own creative “castles” deciding to merge them into one, while creating space for other “kings and queens” in the industry to create authentically.

Representation is also a major part of what they want to build. The company is focused on creating original IP and culturally rich stories, including stories centered on Black and queer experiences.

Meet HEY FRENNN

HEY FRENNN is the first production under the KYNGS KEY banner and is co-produced by Ben Cory Jones, known for his work on Insecure and the Boomerang reboot.

Set to release in 2027, the vertical, mobile-first series blends romance, comedy, suspense, and sci-fi. The story follows three successful Black women, Ari, Yanni, and Stormy, as they navigate relationships, friendship, careers, and secrets that threaten to shake up their lives.

The series stars Love & Hip Hop personality Omeretta the Great, Baddies star and model Sapphire Blaze, and actress Charity Collins.

“We don’t have the modern-day Girlfriends. We don’t have Insecure. That’s where HEY FRENNN steps in.”

The series is also built around an interactive format that treats the audience as the “fourth bestie.” 

“The coolest thing that Ryan and I are developing with HEY FRENNN is it’s an interactive vertical series,” Lott explains. “The audience is just as important to us as we are to them. We found this cool way for the audience to be the fourth bestie.”

For Lott and Lowery, the goal is to create something that feels familiar while still giving audiences something new. The series also opens the door for additional scripted projects centered on Black and queer stories.

Follow Your Curiosity

Despite taking very different roads to get here, both creators agree that there is no single formula for building a creative career. 

For Lowery, it starts with curiosity.

“Sometimes you don’t know your passion. Stay curious, stay open you may discover your passion.”

For Lott, it is about moving even when you are afraid.

“I moved to Atlanta with $250 in my pocket and a 1990 Accord I had no family or friends that lived in Atlanta. It was like a word from God was like, go.”

His advice is simple: find your water.

“Even a fisherman with the right equipment catches nothing standing in the woods.”

With KYNGS KEY and HEY FRENNN, Ryan Lowery and George Lott are not just chasing their own purpose. They are building a creative space where other people can find theirs too.

HEY FRENNN is expected to launch in 2027. Follow the series at heyfriend.com and @HeyFriendTV across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Threads.

Learn more:

Website: https://heyfrennn.com/ 

 Instagram: @HeyFrennnTV

Photos Courtesy of The Forefront Agency