Demi Lovato to Make Directorial Debut With Child Star Documentary

If you were an OG Disney Channel fan, Demi Lovato’s next project — her directorial debut — might just pique your interest.

On March 16, Hulu Originals confirmed that production has begun on Child Star, the working title of Demi's new documentary. Per Hulu Originals' official statement, the film “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” and “explore how children are propelled to superstardom at a young age and how their rise to fame, fortune and power affects their futures.”

Demi Lovato will make her debut as a director by co-directing the doc with filmmaker Nicola Marsh. Child Star will be produced by OBB Pictures, SB Projects, and Demi's own production company, DLG.

Child Star is currently expected to stream exclusively on Hulu in 2024, and aims to “pull back the curtain” on the complex — and oftentime tragic — realities of child stardom. “Through intimate conversations led by Lovato" and the use of archival footage, it seems as though the documentary intends to champion the stories of former child stars instead of sensationalize them. “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,” reads the official press release.

"There is no better film or topic for my directorial debut than this story, which is close to home," Demi said in a statement about Child Star. “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.”

“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,” Belisa Balaban, Senior Vice President of Documentaries and Unscripted Series at Hulu Originals also shared in a statement. “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.”

Demi first teased the existence of Child Star back in August 2022 while appearing on an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. During the episode, Demi revealed that she had a project in the works that she'd like to involve a bunch of stars from her Disney Channel heyday — think Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, etc. — sitting them down to reflect on how growing up in the spotlight has impacted their lives and careers. According to Hulu, “the participants involved with the film are being held under tight wraps for now,” but will likely be confirmed closer to the doc's release date.

Child Star will not be the first time Demi reflects on their Disney Channel days. Also speaking to PopCrush in August 2022, Demi took the chance to briefly walk down memory lane and share the advice they would give to young stars in their shoes today. 

"It's more important to have a personal life than it is a career at that age," she told the publication. "I think that's what got lost in the era of Disney when I was in it. We were all working so hard, running ourselves into the ground."

Demi also spoke of their personal experience, sharing that she feels like she "didn't have a lot of fun in my downtime" while she was a young star. They shared that they were "often thinking about what I needed to do next” and that she definitely felt pressure to "look a certain way," "be a certain way," and "act a certain way." 

They elaborated on the point, saying that she feels young stars don't get to "experience childhood" or "life as a teenager" because they are constantly "under a microscope.”

"If you want to be a teenager, be a teenager,” advised Demi. “If you want to do this for a living, maybe wait a little bit until you're older so you can have life experience under your belt.” Her best piece of advice, however, is to just take it easy. “You don't have to be on top of the world,” they said. “Enjoy your time right now. Be present."

This post will continue to be updated as news about Child Star breaks.