Disney+ Greenlights First-Ever Canadian Originals
Ever since Disney+ launched, it has been investing heavily in local content around the world, with shows from across Latin America, Europe, Korea, Japan and Australia. We’ve seen hit shows like the British drama “Rivals”, K-Dramas such as “Moving” and anime from Japan like “Twisted Wonderland”, all arrive on Disney+.
Today, Disney has announced its first-ever Canadian local Originals, including two greenlights for “Knighted,” a new eight-episode scripted comedy and “I’m Not Coming Back,” a three-part true-crime documentary, marking an important step in the streamer’s expanding investment in Canadian storytelling. Both of these shows will be released on Disney+ around the world.
“Knighted” follows a missing person’s case that spirals into a gloriously absurd documentary-style exploration of the sinister secrets lurking beneath the enchanting pageantry of a local medieval dinner theatre
This new series is going to be produced by Heavy Lifting Productions in association with 3 Arts Entertainment. It is developed by award-winning executive producer, Bruce McCulloch (“The Kids in the Hall”), alongside the creators Jackson Rowe and Mike Mildon (“For Heaven’s Sake”) and producers Trevor Rotenberg, Zack Waxenberg and Greg Walter from 3 Arts Entertainment.
“I’m Not Coming Back” is produced by Tuck Shop Media and Hodgee Films about two armed fugitives who went on a killing spree in the summer of 2019 that turned into one of the largest-scale manhunts in Canadian history. When national police leads run dry, authorities enlist help from a member of the Fox Lake Cree Nation in a desperate pursuit of justice.
The series is from producer Joe Tuck (“Running Smoke” and “Field Generals: History of the Black Quarterback”) and director Brent Hodge (“I Am Chris Farley” and “Pharma Bro”).
Paige Murray, Director of Development, Disney+ Canada, said in a statement regarding the originals:
“We’re delighted to launch ‘Knighted’ and ‘I’m Not Coming Back’ as our first-ever Canadian originals, two series that showcase the incredible range of talent we have here in Canada. This demonstrates our deep commitment to local content, investing in stories that will resonate with audiences both here in Canada and around the world”.
With Bruce McCulloch adding:
“I am so happy to be part of the first Canadian series for Disney+, and for viewers to get to know our creators. This is a really fun show, something wholly unique that I have never seen”.
Brent Hodge and Joe Tuck, also added:
“We’re thrilled to be working with Disney+ on this special project. For this story, we’re going beyond the headlines of a news sensation that swept the country in 2019. While underpinned by tragedy, this docu-series gives us a chance to cinematically showcase the vastness of Canada from the Pacific Coast to Hudson’s Bay”.
Roger’s Take: While many shows and movies, such as “Percy Jackson & the Olympians”, are made in Canada for a global audience, we usually see them set in the US, so we don’t often get to see the Canadian way of life told. I’m also not surprised that Disney has started to greenlight new original shows from Canada, as we’ve seen Canadians turn away from US-made products due to the current political climate.
But more importantly, the Canadian government was introducing new rules forcing major streaming services like Disney+, which earn over $25 million CAD a year, to invest 15% of their Canadian revenue toward supporting Canadian and Indigenous content. However, there have been some roadblocks along the way, so it hasn’t been fully implemented yet. So Disney looks to be getting ahead of this problem by greenlighting some new shows. As more countries around the world look to ensure local content is being released on global streaming platforms, expect more investment in local content from Disney+.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Canada on many occasions and, personally, would love to see more stories told from the Canadian way of life, as Disney+ needs more variety.
What do you think of Disney+ getting its own Canadian originals? Let me know on social media!
