EXCLUSIVE: The brand new docuseries Not A part of the Plan exploring the lives of 4 queer Mormon teenagers from govt producers Wilson Cruz (Seen: Out on Tv), Amy Redford (The Lincoln Challenge), Xan Parker (Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise) and Hadleigh Arnst, is at present being shopped. The six-episode mission (plus one bonus episode) was directed by Stephen Frandsen (Duck Seashore to Eternity).
The primary season was filmed over two years following the lives of 4 queer teenagers in Utah’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Producers targeted on spending in depth time attending to know them, to in a position to showcase their challenges, victories and the help they obtain from Utah-based, non-profit group Encircle.
“The private tales of those younger queer individuals, telling us who they’re, will give us a chance to hopefully change minds and hearts whereas educating others so they’re extra knowledgeable, extra open, and extra caring,” says Cruz, who highlights the urgency for this docuseries at a time when LGBTQIA points are underneath assault. “All these exhibits, from my expertise, save lives. The urgency is now.”
Wilson was the primary overtly homosexual actor to play an overtly homosexual character on tv along with his portrayal Enrique “Rickie” Vasquez within the ’90s collection My So-Known as Life. Moreover, his appearances in a number of basic market TV and movie initiatives—regardless of how small—provided much-needed visibility to Afro-Latino and Latin American teenagers. He continues to raise up underserved communities each on and off-screen as an actor, producer and activist.
“Wilson Cruz has been deeply and authentically advocating for LGBTQ + youth in entrance and behind the scenes for many years,” Redford shared. “His life work led us to creating him a core a part of our group. I’m honored to name him a collaborator. His compassion, insights, humor and creativity are a useful addition to the mission.”
Director Frandsen provides an essential perspective to Not A part of the Plan as a training Mormon and a Bishop within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He sees a have to be extra open about how issues can change for the higher in his group.
“This docuseries invitations the viewers into these children’ expertise within the LDS group, and let the viewers be taught a bit of bit about what they undergo every day as a member of the Mormon group,” he shared. “The collection invitations individuals to see the reality concerning the lives of queer youth in non secular communities.”
Frandsen, Redford, Parker and Arnst collaborate underneath the Large Iron Productions banner created after recognizing a necessity for improved remedy of queer youth inside their Utah group.
Redford govt produced Showtime’s The Lincoln Challenge and produced the characteristic movie Professor Marston and the Marvel-Girls. She made her directorial debut with The Guitar. Parker is a longtime veteran of the documentary world, greatest recognized for Ron Howard’s Rebuilding Paradise and Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow’s The Large Payback, amongst many others. Arnst, a veteran of each the documentary and business world, has produced multi-million greenback campaigns for dozens of Fortune 500 Firms. Producers Autumn and Michael McAlpin (Miss Arizona and Waffle Avenue) additionally EP underneath the banner. The manufacturing group is repped by Buchwald and Verve.
Along with his work in exhibits like Paramount+’s Star Trek: Discovery, Cruz govt produced the AppleTV+ collection Seen: Out on Tv which shares the historical past of the American LGBTQ motion by way of the lens of TV. He serves because the Chairman of the Board of GLSEN and has obtained quite a few awards for his activism within the LGBTQIA group.
Up subsequent for Cruz is the upcoming Netflix movie Mom of the Bride reverse Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt and he’s simply accomplished voicing season 2 of Hulu’s The Bravest Knight. He’s represented by Buchwald and Hyperlink Leisure.
