Thanks to an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter, we now know that Walt Disney Pictures is developing Grace, a new dance drama. The story will center around a promising 17-year-old dancer left paralyzed from the waist down following a debilitating car accident. However, with the help of an exacting artistic director, she will become the star of a premiere dance company.
Chelsie Hill will serve as an executive producer and consultant on the project. She is a professional dancer, community leader, and content creator. Hill, herself paralyzed after a car accident at 17, right after qualifying for dance nationals. However, Hill refused to stop dancing and became the founder of the Rollettes, a wheelchair dance team based in LA. According to an Instagram post by Wexler, Hill and the Rollettes have built the largest network of women with disabilities worldwide.
“Grace’s journey is a reflection of so many real-life dancers, artists, and athletes who push themselves to the limits. I am honored to be a part of the incredible team helping to further authentic representation and inclusive storytelling for the disabled community,” said Freddy Wexler, who’s best known for being the Grammy-nominated songwriter behind records from Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, and Justin Bieber.
What We Know About Grace and What We Don’t
Besides being the one who came up with the story for the movie, Wexler will also serve as a producer. The script will be co-written by Wexler and Kiera Allen, an actress who is currently in the middle of shooting the independent feature Littlemouth. Grace will be the first scriptwriting credit from either of them.
“This story will inspire anyone who thinks they’re limited from pursuing their wildest dreams — I wish I’d had a film like this when I was first injured,” said Hill.
Allen debuted in Run, the Hulu thriller film co-starring Sarah Paulson. She, like Hill, also uses a wheelchair. In an interview with the New York Times, Allen stated that she hoped Run would bring down barriers to allow more disabled people to be cast in major movies. Wexler likewise finds it exciting that Grace could potentially be the first dance film to cast a disabled actor in its starring role.
“I’ve dreamed of being a writer for as long as I’ve dreamed of being an actor - which is to say, my entire life. I’ve dreamed of this moment. So I guess Disney was right. Dreams really do come true,” Allen wrote in an Instagram post.
At this time, Grace is still in early development, and as such, who will get to play the title character is still yet to be decided. It is also unclear whether it will bypass theatres entirely in favor of streaming, as Prey did on Hulu, or if it will have a theatrical release. Or even when the release date will be. Interested parties will have to stay tuned for more information.
“I’m so excited to be working with Freddy, Chelsie, and Disney on this project. Grace is a beautiful story about self-expression, identity, and what it means to be an artist. And as a disabled artist myself, I’m proud to be part of this step forward for authentic representation,” said Allen.
