EXCLUSIVE: The new documentaries Not part of the plan Exploring the lives of four queer Mormon teenagers from executive producers Wilson Cruz (Visible: Off on TV)Amy Redford (The Lincoln Project), Xan Parker (Ron Howards Rebuild paradise) and Hadleigh Arnst, is currently shopping. The six-part project (plus a bonus episode) was created by Stephen Frandsen (Duck Beach forever).
The first season was filmed over two years and followed the lives of four queer teenagers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah. Producers focused on spending time getting to know them to showcase their challenges, victories and the support they receive from Utah-based nonprofit Encircle.
“The personal stories of these young queer people telling us who they are will hopefully give us the opportunity to change minds and hearts while educating others to be more informed, open and caring,” says Cruz highlights the urgency of this documentary at a time when LGBTQIA issues are under attack. “In my experience, shows like this save lives. The urgency is now.”
Wilson became the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay character on television with his portrayal of Enrique “Rickie” Vasquez in the ’90s series My so-called life. Additionally, his appearances in several general television and film projects – no matter how small – provided much-needed visibility to Afro-Latina and Latino teenagers. As an actor, producer and activist, he continues to advocate for disadvantaged communities both on and off screen.
“Wilson Cruz has been deeply and authentically committed to LGBTQ+ youth both in front of and behind the scenes for decades,” shared Redford. “His life’s work led us to make him a central part of our team. I am honored to call him an employee. His compassion, insight, humor and creativity are an invaluable asset to the project.”
Director Frandsen offers an important perspective on this Not part of the plan as a practicing Mormon and bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He sees the need to talk more openly about how things can change for the better in his community.
“This documentary invites the audience into the experiences of these children in the LDS community and lets the audience learn a little about what they go through on a daily basis as a member of the Mormon community,” he shared. “The series invites people to see the truth about the lives of queer youth in religious communities.”
Frandsen, Redford, Parker and Arnst work together under the banner Big Iron Productions, which was created after they recognized the need for better treatment of queer youth in their Utah community.
Redford executive producer of Showtime’s The Lincoln Project and produced the feature film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. She made her directorial debut with The guitar. Parker is a longtime veteran of the documentary world, best known for Ron Howard’s Rebuild paradise and Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow The great revengeamong many others. Arnst, a veteran of both the documentary and commercial worlds, has produced multimillion-dollar campaigns for dozens of Fortune 500 companies. Producers Autumn and Michael McAlpin (Miss Arizona And Waffle Street) also EP under the banner. The production team is represented by Buchwald and Verve.
In addition to his work in shows like Paramount+’s Star Trek: DiscoveryCruz was an executive producer of the AppleTV+ series Visible: On TV which tells the story of the American LGBTQ movement through the lens of television. He serves as board chair of GLSEN and has received numerous awards for his involvement in the LGBTQIA community.
Next up for Cruz is the upcoming Netflix film Mother of the bride He just sang the second season of Hulu alongside Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt The bravest knight. He is represented by Buchwald and Link Entertainment.