Steven Spielberg's new movie-based reality series will premiere off the back of American Idol in May, Fox has confirmed.

On The Lot is essentially a movie-making version of Idol, with aspiring filmmakers producing short films across a variety of genres. A panel will judge the pieces but the audience will have the ultimate say and send someone home each week. The grand prize is a $1-million development deal with Hollywood studio DreamWorks.

The first episode - covering the auditions stage - will air on Tuesday, May 22 at 9pm following the first part of the American Idol finale, with the second following on the Thursday after the third season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance.

"We are very excited that Fox has scheduled the launch with the powerhouse American Idol finale," said co-creator Mark Burnett. "Launching out of that show is a terrific move."