Disney+ Strikes Overall Deal With ‘Chef’s Table’ Producer Supper Club As It Reveals Non-Fiction Programming Slate
Disney+ has launched its first non-fiction programming slate as well as an overall deal with Supper Club, the producers of Netflix’s Chef’s Table and Ava DuVernay’s 13th.
The streaming service has unveiled ten projects including two from David Gelb, Brian McGinn and Jason Sterman’s company, which was also behind Amanda Knox, Five Came Back and Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The news was unveiled as part of Disney’s investor day.
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The trio are producing culture-focused Marvel’s 616 (w/t), created in collaboration with Marvel New Media, and wildlife conservation-themed Earthkeepers (w/t).
Marvel’s 616 is an anthological documentary series that explores the Marvel legacy and its intersection with the world. Told through the lens of a diverse group of filmmakers, each documentary will dive into rich historical, cultural and societal context that has become inseparable from stories of the Marvel Universe. It will be executive produced by Joe Quesada, Stephen Wacker, Shane Rahmani, John Cerilli, Harry Go and Sarah Amos for Marvel and David Gelb, Brian McGinn and Jason Sterman for Supper Club.
Supper Club has also teamed up with Wellworth Pictures, producers of One Lucky Elephant and Ivory Wars on Earthkeepers. The doc centers on the adventurous lives of the people changing the way we see the animal kingdom and focuses on conservationists and the planet’s most endangered species. McGinn, Sterman and Gelb exec produce with Cristina Colissimo and Jordana Glick-Franzheim for Wellworth Pictures.
The series will launch in late 2019 and are part of the Supper Club’s two-year exclusive deal, which will see its create premium non-fiction programming for Disney+ as well as other platforms and networks within The Walt Disney Company.
“We are thrilled Jason, David and Brian will bring their distinct perspectives and genuine narrative vision exclusively to Disney,” said Agnes Chu, senior vice president, content, 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.”
“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,” add Jason Sterman, partner, Supper Club. “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.”
Elsewhere, Disney+ has ordered a range of titles from the likes of Kristen Bell and The Office’s Angela Kinsey.
Veronica Mars star Bell is exec producing Encore!, which brings together former castmates of a high school musical, tasking them with re-creating their original performance in a high school reunion. With the help of Broadway stars, the friends must pull off performances of beloved musicals like The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast and Annie. It was created by Jason Cohen, who exec produces alongside Alycia Rossiter, Will Gluck, Richard Schwartz, Jim Roush and Chris Wagner.
Kinsey, who played Angela in NBC’s The Office, fronts Be Our Chef, a competition format that offers families to create the next great dish for the Disney parks. In each episode, two families will participate in a themed challenge based on their family traditions and the winner will have their meal become a dish served at Walt Disney World. It is produced by INE Entertainment with Eric Day and Mark Koops serving as producers.
Rogue Trip is a travel guide to all the places the average tourist is least likely to venture – the frequently overlooked corners of the world. Fronted by Bob Woodruff and his 27-year old doppelgänger son, Mack, the show is executive produced by Jeanmarie Condon and Mack and Bob Woodruff for Lincoln Square Productions.
Shop Class (w/t) is a competition format that features teams of inventive students who are tasked with designing, building, and testing new contraptions. John Stevens and Spike Feresten of Hangar 56 Media and Richard Rawlings of Production Monkey are producing.
(Re)Connect 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. With the help of a specialized expert, each family will go on a journey that organically ties to the issues they are facing in order to confront the family’s dilemma head-on. Produced by Milojo Productions and Talos Films, the series is exec produced by Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, and Albert Bianchini of Milojo Productions, and Julian P. Hobbs and Elli Hakami of Talos Films.
Cinema Relics: Iconic Art of the Movies (w/t) is an anthology series that looks at beloved films through the props & costumes that made them unique. Hosted by film historian and collector Dan Lanigan, it will feature Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, The Muppet Movie, Tron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? across eight episodes. It is produced by ABC Studios and executive produced by Jason Henry and Dan Lanigan.
Marvel’s Hero Project reveals the positive change several young heroes are making in their own communities and features inspiring kids who have dedicated their lives to selfless acts of bravery and kindness. It is produced by Marvel New Media in partnership with Maggievision Productions and exec produced by Joe Quesada, Stephen Wacker, Shane Rahmani, Liza Wyles and Sarah Amos for Marvel and Maura Mandt and John Hirsch for MaggieVision Productions.
Finally, Disney+ will also launched an untitled documentary series about Walt Disney Imagineering, chronicling the 65+ history of the company. Created by director and producer Leslie Iwerks, the granddaughter of Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, the series includes exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage from Disney’s parks around the world.
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