YouTube to premiere first Red originals

YouTube is due to premiere its first original content for its new US-based subscription service, YouTube Red, next week.

The video streaming service’s first four titles for the service will be two feature-length films, a feature-length doc and a reality-adventure series staring YouTube star PewDiePie.

The two films are: Dance Camp, an Awesomeness TV-produced film about a boy who gets sent to a summer dance camp; and Lazer Team, a feature-length action-comedy from Rooster Teeth and Fullscreen Films, about four small-town losers who stumble across an alien crash site.

A Trip to Unicorn Island is an Astronauts Wanted-produced feature length doc that follows YouTuber Lilly Singh, aka IISuperwomanII, as she goes on a 26-city world tour.

Meanwhile reality series Scare PewDiePie will follower YouTuber Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie as he faces “terrifying situations inspired by his favourite video games”. The series comes from the creator and executive producers of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios.

“The diverse, dynamic creators behind these films have already built massive audiences on YouTube, rivalling many cable shows. With YouTube Red Originals, we want to help them tell bigger and bolder stories that delight you, their fans,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of original content, YouTube.

“These series and movies are just the beginning. We have lots more thrills, chills, LOLs, smiles, romances and surprises from more of your favourite YouTube stars coming later this year.”

The YouTube Red content will launch on February 10. YouTube Red customers in the US can access the content on as part of their subscription. Elsewhere in the world, where the Red service is yet to roll out, viewers will be able to rent the series and films on a per-title basis.

YouTube launched Red, a US$9.99 per-month subscription offering that lets viewers access an ad-free version of the service and watch videos offline on phones and tablets, in the US in October.