Demi Lovato to Make Directorial Debut With Documentary Exploring Child Stardom for Hulu

Hulu Originals announced TODAY that Demi Lovato's directorial debut has begun production. Child Star (working title) will deconstruct the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the lens of some of the world's most famous former child stars, including Lovato.

The film will explore how children are propelled to superstardom at a young age and how their rise to fame, fortune and power affects their futures. Lovato will be co-directing alongside Nicola Marsh (Stay On Board: The Leo Baker Story, Song Exploder). The documentary is being produced by Michael D. Ratner's OBB Pictures, a division of OBB Media, Lovato's production company, DLG, and Scooter Braun's SB Projects.

Streaming exclusively on Hulu in 2024, the film will chronicle a number of child stars, pulling back the curtain on both their personal struggles and triumphs while growing up in the limelight, and whether that experience drove them deeper into the world of entertainment, or to escape it entirely.

The participants involved with the film are being held under tight wraps for now. Through intimate conversations led by Lovato, verité footage, and archival material from all subjects involved, the film will reach beyond the traditional narratives seen in op-eds and tabloids to consider the changing nature of growing up in an increasingly connected and public world.

"There is no better film or topic for my directorial debut than this story, which is close to home," said Lovato. "Our project sheds light on important messages about growing up in the public eye, learning to protect our boundaries, and becoming active advocates of our own destinies. I'm humbled to be able to learn from the individuals who have lived the unique experience of child stardom and share their stories in our film."

"With this film we're setting out to tell a story that is as timely as ever given our evermore connected world and lack of privacy. This story has a deeply rooted shared nostalgia, and is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining," said Michael D. Ratner, OBB Media founder, president and CEO.

"Demi and the talented individuals taking part in this documentary have decided to share their stories authentically, and I'm thrilled to work alongside Demi, Nicola, and the teams at SB Films and Hulu, in bringing their stories to screen."

"At the heart of our documentaries are storytellers with distinct backgrounds and perspectives who leave no page of their stories unturned. Demi's first-hand experience and personal relationships are all on bold display in this poignant and exploratory film," said Belisa Balaban, Senior Vice President, Documentaries and Unscripted Series, Hulu Originals.

"Our audience has long been interested in delving into the nuances of pop culture, and Demi's story - hard truths and all - uniquely suits her to the kind of stories we feel fortunate to tell at Hulu."

Child Star is produced by OBB Pictures' Ratner, Kfir Goldberg and Miranda Sherman, with Scott Ratner serving as executive producer; Lovato serves as executive producer for her DLG banner; Scooter Braun, Scott Manson, Jennifer McDaniels and James Shin are executive producing for SB Projects.

Lovato, OBB Media, and SB Projects are frequent collaborators who have found success since beginning to collaborate. They produced the very successful documentary series Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, which was the opening night headliner at SXSW in 2021, received widespread critical acclaim, and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 99% audience score.

Grammy nominees, Lovato and Ratner co-directed the music video for the single, Dancing with the Devil, which was nominated for the MTV VMA for Social Good. Most recently they all teamed up again for the popular podcast series, 4D with Demi Lovato.

Child Star marks the first project set up at Hulu since OBB's recently announced partnership with Walt Disney Television Alternative. The multi-year development deal, which is non-exclusive, focuses on creating documentaries, docu-series, original specials and unscripted formats that cater to Gen Z and Millennial audiences across Disney platforms. In January, OBB launched OBB Studios, the 15,000+ sq. ft. state of the art production and post-production facility located in Hollywood, which will house the production.

Demi Lovato is repped by SB Projects, UTA and CCGG Law. Michael D. Ratner and OBB Media are repped by CAA and Barnes Morris Klein & Yorn. Nicola Marsh is repped by WME.

ABOUT DEMI LOVATO

Demi Lovato is a GRAMMY-nominated and award-winning musician, actor, advocate and New York Times best-selling author. With nearly 30 billion streams earned worldwide, Demi has captivated audiences with her renowned powerhouse vocals and illustrious songwriting. Her most recent album, HOLY FVCK, is a sonic journey grounded in Demi's rock and pop-punk roots and opened to widespread acclaim from critics and fans.

The album debuted at #1 on several Billboard charts including the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart, the Top Rock Albums chart, and the Top Alternative Albums chart, and marked Demi's eighth consecutive Top 10 album on the Billboard 200. On screen, Demi first broke out on the hit Disney film series Camp Rock in the leading role of Mitchie.

She later had a recurring role as Dani on Glee and guest starring roles on GREY'S ANATOMY and Will & Grace, and most recently starred in the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Demi has been honored with numerous awards and accolades over her career, and with an audience of over 215 million on social media, Demi has established herself as a global sensation.

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