What’s new on Disney+ this April from The Good Mothers to Peter Pan & Wendy

 (Peter Pan & Wendy / Official Trailer / Disney+)
(Peter Pan & Wendy / Official Trailer / Disney+)

The House of Mouse certainly knows how to deliver quality content – it’s been doing it for 70 years.

This April there’s a whole range of new shows and films coming onto Disney+ for people to enjoy. From a revealing documentary about Brooke Shields, to a live action remake of a disney classic, take a look below to find your next obsession.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields – April 3

This two-part documentary tells the unsettling story of Brooke Shields’ rise to fame. The actor started modeling aged 11 months, and was being called “the child who drives men crazy” in the press by the time she was nine.

It’s a difficult story to tell, as blame for her unhappy adolescence can’t help but fall on her mother and manager Teri, who Shields has historically fiercely defended. “Like any beautiful painting, I think the world should enjoy Brooke and view her,” says Teri in one clip shown in the film. The documentary, which has been made by Ali Wentworth and her husband, Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos, includes conversations between Shields and her own daughters, as well as interviews with Drew Barrymore, Laura Linney and Shields herself.

The Good Mothers – April 5

This Italian series, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, is based on a true story about a group of women who tried to take down the ‘Ndrangheta, aka the Italian mafia syndicate, which is one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the world, from the inside. At the festival the series won the Berlinale Series Award – a new prize which was established this year.

The story follows three women who were born into the middle of the ‘Ndrangheta, who ended up secretly working with a female prosecutor to bring down the organized crime group. The six-part series, which will all be released in one go, is based on the book of the same name by journalist Alex Perry, and has a script written by Stephen Butchard, who co-wrote House of Saddam (2008) and The Last Kingdom (2015).

The Pope: Answers – April 5

Whatever your religious background, this Spanish-language special is set to be a treat. Pope Francis, the current Pope, sits down with ten young adults who are from a range of backgrounds who then ask him questions – and real questions too such as “Do you get a paycheck?” and “Do you know what a non-binary person is?” One person says, “I get the impression, at least from what I see around me, that people are very disappointed with the Church, not with God.”

Francis I, who is now 86 and who has built a reputation for having a more informal take on the papacy than some of his predecessors, listens and sometimes laughs in the trailer. It will be fascinating to watch his full responses in the film.

Tiny Beautiful Things – April 7

This new TV series based on the 2012 book of the same name by Cheryl Strayed, stars Kathryn Hahn (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) as Clare, a writer who becomes an advice columnist at the same time as her marriage is breaking down. The original book was a collection of essays compiled from Strayed’s own advice column and the series reflects the book’s emotional content and uplifting message.

Secrets of the Elephants – April 22

To coincide with Earth Day, Disney is releasing this National Geographic documentary narrated by Natalie Portman, which opens up the worlds of elephants. The series comes as part of James Cameron’s ‘Secrets of’ series which includes Secrets of the Whales (2021) and upcoming documentaries Secrets of the Octopus, Secrets of the Bees and Secrets of the Penguins.

Peter Pan & Wendy – April 28

It seems that Disney is in its live-action remake era: there was Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto last September, and before that Cruella (2021), Mulan (2020) Lady and the Tramp (2019), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) and The Lion King (2019). Next up Disney is remaking its 1953 classic animation Peter Pan, with David Lowery directing, Alexander Molony playing Peter Pan and Ever Anderson playing Wendy Darling.