Demi Lovato to Direct a Documentary About the “World’s Most Famous Former Child Stars”

Following the release of her latest album, “Holy Fvck,” Demi Lovato is entering a new career lane: directing for her first-ever film. Per a press release shared with POPSUGAR, the singer is set to make their directorial debut with a forthcoming documentary for Hulu, supposedly titled “Child Star,” which will reportedly “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.”

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

Per a press release, the documentary, which Lovato will codirect alongside Nicola Marsh, promises to feature “intimate conversations led by Lovato, verité footage, and archival material from all subjects involved” – which includes interviews with a number of former child actors.

Prior to Lovato’s formal film announcement, she reflected on her days as a teen Disney Channel star in August 2022 on the “Call Me Daddy” podcast, where they got candid about what life was like for them at that time. It was then that Lovato also teased her new film.

“I do have a project in the works where I want to talk to some of those people about their experiences,” they told host Alex Cooper when asked if they’ve ever spoken to Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, or the Jonas Brothers about their time with Disney. Of her fellow Disney stars, Lovato added that they all have talked about their shared experiences over the years, but she’d like to speak to “other child stars as well” for the documentary.

Related: Demi Lovato Is Being Accused of “Queer Tourism” For Changing Her Pronouns. Here’s Why That’s Harmful.

When Will Demi Lovato’s Documentary Release?

The film is set to stream exclusively on Hulu in 2024.

Which Former Child Actors Will Appear in Demi Lovato’s Documentary?

No notable names for Lovato’s documentary have been officially announced yet but there are plenty to choose from, especially since the “29” singer isn’t the first to open up about the realities of being a child star. Last year, Jennette McCurdy released her memoir on Aug. 9, 2022, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” where she didn’t mince words about her difficult challenges in the industry, specifically with Nickelodeon. In her book, McCurdy shared that she was allegedly offered “hush money” ($300,000) and an NDA by the kids network to prevent her from speaking about her experiences, which she turned down.

In her “Call Me Daddy” podcast interview, Lovato also touched on a similar kind of control Disney and fame had over her life as a teenager. “There were expectations on you to be a role model because, all of a sudden, you’re thrust into that position, whether you want to be or not,” they said. “You’re on shows that kids are watching, you can’t be seen at a party with a red cup in your hand because it looks like it could be alcohol.”

Lovato also said, during her teen days, a website called Ocean Up would “take all scandalous things that were happening to Disney actors and put it on there.” “We lived in fear of that website,” they added. “Wasn’t really ever Disney saying, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that,’ but if something happened there would be conversations.”

Most recently, Tyler James Williams, who famously rose to fame after starring in “Everybody Hates Chris,” also got candid about his experience with childhood fame, calling it “traumatic” and “the weirdest sh*t in the world.” Perhaps, Lovato will extend the actor an invite to appear in her new documentary.