The Way Down (TV series)

The Way Down is a 2021 American documentary television miniseries directed and produced by Marina Zenovich. It follows Gwen Shamblin Lara, the founder of a diet program Weigh Down Workshop, and The Remnant Fellowship, a new Christian group led by Shamblin Lara. It consists of 5 episodes and premiered with the first three on HBO Max on September 30, 2021, with the last two premiering on April 28, 2022.[1][2]

The Way Down
GenreDocumentary
Directed byMarina Zenovich
Music byIsobel Waller-Bridge
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
  • Marina Zenovich
  • P.G. Morgan
  • Nile Cappello
  • Ross Dinerstein
  • Luke Dillon
  • Chrissy Teigen
Producers
  • Ann Finnegan
  • Gina Scarlata
CinematographyNick Higgins
Editors
  • Erin Perri
  • Natalie De Diego
Running time40-55 minutes
Production companies
  • Campfire
  • Huntley Productions
  • PMZ Pictures
Release
Original networkHBO Max
Original releaseSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30) –
April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)

Plot

The series follows Gwen Shamblin Lara, the founder of a diet program Weigh Down Workshop, and The Remnant Fellowship, a church founded by Shamblin Lara.[3]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"The Kingdom"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
2"A Family Affair"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
3"Seen But Not Heard"Marina ZenovichSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
4"Revelations"Marina ZenovichApril 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)
5"The Way Forward"Marina ZenovichApril 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)

Production

Nile Cappello began researching Gwen Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship, spending months getting to know former members.[4] Cappello brought the project to Campfire, who agreed to produce the series, and asked Marina Zenovich to direct.[5]

The producers had reached out to Gwen Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship for an interview, but all declined.[6] However, the church posted a response to the miniseries on the RemnantFellowship.org website.[7] During the final stages of post-production on the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara died in a plane crash. Afterward, people who had been unwilling to speak about their experiences with Shamblin Lara and The Remnant Fellowship reached out to Zenovich.[8]

References
  1. "The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin Debuts September 30 (Official Trailer + Key Art)". WarnerMedia. September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  2. White, Peter (March 12, 2022). "'The Way Down': HBO Max Explores More God, Greed & Cult In Second Part Of Gwen Shamblin Docuseries – SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  3. Bjornson, Greta (September 23, 2021). "New Trailer for HBO Max Docuseries The Way Down Explores 'Cult' of Late Diet Guru Gwen Shamblin". People. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  4. Horton, Adrian (September 29, 2021). "'This is a cult': inside the shocking story of a religious weight-loss group". The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  5. Adams, Liam (September 30, 2021). "Director of new HBO docuseries on weight loss church wants to help people 'get out'". The Tennessean. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  6. Williams, Phil (September 28, 2021). "HBO Max series examines Brentwood's Gwen Shamblin, Remnant Fellowship". WTVF. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  7. "The Truth About The Way Down HBO Documentary". remnantfellowship.org. 30 September 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  8. Sperling, Nicole (July 14, 2021). "Plane Crash Complicates HBO Max Documentary on Diet-Inspired Church". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
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