As its burgeoning fiction slate continues to shuffle and take shape, Disney+ has announced its slate of nonfiction content, which will include the return of the Kristen Bell musical recreation show “Encore!,” as well as a project from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions.
The streaming platform has also inked a two-year deal with documentary specialists Supper Club, Variety has learned.
Under the pact, the trio of Brian McGinn, David Gelb and Jason Sterman (pictured above left to right), who are behind award-winning docs including “Chef’s Table,” “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” and “13th,” will create both franchise-based and original-concept nonfiction programming for the streaming service, as well as other platforms and networks under the Disney umbrella.
“We are thrilled Jason, David and Brian will bring their distinct perspectives and genuine narrative vision exclusively to Disney,” said Agnes Chu, SVP of Content at Disney+. “As some of the world’s greatest nonfiction storytellers, Supper Club will be a crucial, creative force for Disney+ as we build a platform for compelling, personal, and authentic programming.”
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Supper Club is already working its first two original series for Disney+ in the form of the culture-focused “Marvel’s 616” (working title), which is created in collaboration with Marvel New Media, and the wildlife conservation-themed “Earthkeepers” (working title).
“The storytelling legacy of The Walt Disney Company had a formative and lasting impact on us growing up, and we are honored to be welcomed into this exciting new chapter of such a storied studio,” said Jason Sterman, one of the Supper Club partners. “To become a part of the Disney family is any filmmaker’s dream, and David, Brian and I are looking forward to working alongside Ricky, Agnes, Dan and the entire Disney+ team to bring audiences dynamic new nonfiction stories from all of Disney’s legendary brands.”
Disney’s streaming service is set to launch in late 2019, and the Supper Club projects represent only a small part of its nonfiction slate.
Read on for a list of some of the other nonfiction series in the works at Disney+:
“Encore!”
Executive producer Kristen Bell brings together former castmates of a high school musical, tasking them with re-creating their original performance in a high school reunion. Emotions run high as the former students face faded friendships, former flames, self-doubt, and killer choreography. These unlikely groups of friends—with the help of Broadway’s best— attempt to pull off performances of beloved musicals like “The Sound of Music,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Annie,” and more.
“Encore!” was created by Jason Cohen, and is executive produced by Cohen, Kristen Bell, Alycia Rossiter, Will Gluck, Richard Schwartz, Jim Roush and Chris Wagner.
“Be Our Chef”
Hosted by “The Office” star Angela Kinsey, “Be Our Chef” invites families from diverse backgrounds to join a Disney-inspired cooking competition at Walt Disney World. In each episode, two families will participate in a themed challenge based on their family traditions and the magic of Disney. The finalists will apply what they have learned to create a dish that represents their family through a Disney lens. The winner’s magical food creation will become a signature dish or treat served at Walt Disney World.
“Be Our Chef” is produced by INE Entertainment with Eric Day and Mark Koops serving as producers.
“Cinema Relics: Iconic Art of the Movies” (working title)
“Cinema Relics: Iconic Art of the Movies” is an anthology series that takes a unique look at beloved films through the props & costumes that made them unique – from the craftspeople who created them, the actors who interacted with them, and the collectors and archives who own and cherish them. The show will be hosted by film historian and collector Dan Lanigan. Among the films featured in the first eight episodes are “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Muppet Movie,” “Tron,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”
“Cinema Relics” is produced by ABC Studios and executive produced by Jason Henry and Dan Lanigan.
“(Re)Connect”
In “(Re)Connect,” each episode features one family with a modern-day, relatable issue that’s driving a wedge between them. Issues range from workaholic parents, overly competitive siblings, technology addiction, or a family secret that has recently been revealed. All of these families have reached a breaking point, and it’s time for them to disconnect from their busy lives, devices and outside influences in order to address their issues head-on. With the help of a specialized expert, each family will go on a unique journey that organically ties to the issues they are facing in order to confront the family’s dilemma head-on.
“(Re)Connect” is produced by Milojo Productions and Talos Films. Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, and Albert Bianchini of Milojo Productions, and Julian P. Hobbs and Elli Hakami of Talos Films serve as executive producers.
“Rogue Trip”
“Rogue Trip” is a travel guide to all the places the average tourist is least likely to venture – the roguish, often misunderstood and frequently overlooked corners of the world. This is the family vacation most of us are unlikely to take – but viewers do so vicariously with the intrepid Bob Woodruff and his 27-year old doppelgänger son, Mack.
“Rogue Trip” is executive produced by Jeanmarie Condon and Mack and Bob Woodruff for Lincoln Square Productions.
“Shop Class” (working title)
A new competition series, “Shop Class” features teams of inventive students who are tasked with designing, building, and testing new contraptions. In each episode, a panel of experts will rate their work based on engineering, design, and the final test of the build. In the last episode, one team will be named Shop Class Champs.
John Stevens and Spike Feresten of Hangar 56 Media and Richard Rawlings of Production Monkey are producing.
“Untitled Walt Disney Imagineering Documentary Series”
The documentary series chronicles the 65+ year history of Walt Disney Imagineering with parallel storylines of the people, the craft, and the business. Created by director and producer Leslie Iwerks, the series includes exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage from Disney’s parks around the world.
The series is produced by Iwerks & Co. and directed by Leslie Iwerks.