Disney+ is reviving (and revamping) the short-lived hybrid competition series The Quest, retaining the key elements of the original series while incorporating new twists. Described as a fantasy-based competition series, the original show ran for just one season on ABC and featured adults dropped into the fictional world of Everealm, complete with a real castle populated by knights and ruled by a royal family.
The 2022 version takes away the elimination element and subs in a diverse group of teens in place of adult participants. During the 2022 WonderCon, executive producer Elise Doganieri (The Amazing Race) explained the reason behind the age group switch.
“There’s a time in our lives when we’re teenagers where we’re not knowing who we are, what we want to be, what we want to become, and we wanted to have a show that was a fantasy world but also a very inspirational show,” explained Doganieri. “It’s a show that crosses many age groups. There’s something for everybody. It’s nice with all the social media stuff out there that can be very negative and damaging, there’s also the positive side of social media, but a lot of kids are feeling certain ways about themselves by what they’re seeing, right? And so, we wanted to put something on the air with kids that were very relatable to other teenagers where they can see themselves.”
Doganieri added: “It is very inspirational. And you see these kids…they don’t always succeed at everything but because there’s no eliminations, the support that they get from the other contestants is really wonderful to watch. They’re all there for a common purpose. There is a winner – one true hero in the end – but you see them all supporting each other. It’s really amazing. And in a time when everything is so divisive and crazy, it’s nice to see a group coming together. There’s hope for our future with these kids!”
Because the series was due to shoot during Covid-19, the production team had to scramble to come up with a workable location since they couldn’t film in Austria (the location of the original series).
“The biggest issue with a real castle and filming is who owns it. If it’s owned by some historical trust, you’re never going to be able to do as much as you want to do,” explained Michael Williams (Queer Eye). “I had previously looked at Castello di Amorosa [in Napa Valley] which is owned by one guy. He runs the winery and he built this 20 years ago. He got craftsmen from all over Europe to build it exactly.
And I’m telling you, you’re in a hallway you’re back in time. There’s nothing that feels modern whatsoever. Just even the dust on things…it really felt right. So that, to be honest with you, was our only choice.”
The timing worked out just right as the Covid-19 pandemic forced Castello di Amorosa to shut down for six months, giving the production the opportunity to have the place to themselves while helping out the struggling business.
In addition to the eight teenage competitors, actors portray the citizens of Everealm and the royal family. As the teens become a part of the story in their quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save the kingdom, they interact with actors who guide their journeys or, in some cases, attempt to thwart their quests.
“The scripted actors, they move the story forward. We knew every episode we knew what the storyline was, and we knew at the end of that episode they’re going to have to get this or do this, and then this character’s going to walk in and surprise them. And this creature’s going to come in and surprise them. Then everything else naturally happened,” said Doganieri.
Rob Eric (Queer Eye) confirmed there aren’t any second takes and everything is done practically on the set, rather than with CGI or special effects.
“There’s a lot of narrative in this one so there’s a lot of scripted scenes that don’t take place with the kids. Just like a normal movie, not every scripted character is in every scene. So, the kids weren’t in some of the scripted scenes. The scripted scenes that happened in front of them, they were well-rehearsed and they got one take to do it,” explained Rob Eric.
“I don’t think we ever had a mistake. Like, there was no moment where somebody said a name wrong or somebody didn’t have the right where to go to for the story,” added Eric. “They were awesome; the actors were amazing.”
Jane Fleming (Lord of the Rings) believes The Quest is more of a reality “experience” than a reality show. “We really tried – and this was all of us – to stay away from the traditional tropes. You’ll see a few things [but] we tried to stay away from it as much as we could. We included the bare minimum just so people felt moored and anchored to something that was familiar,” said Fleming. “It’s a really different type of storytelling that hasn’t been done yet.”
The eight-episode first season premieres on Disney+ on May 11, 2022.
The Quest Plot, Courtesy of Disney+:
For thousands of years, Everealm has been a land of unrivaled beauty and powerful magic. Now, the realm is threatened by a powerful evil Sorceress. As a last hope, the noble Fates summon eight strangers known as Paladins from a world beyond to work together to fulfill an ancient prophecy and vanquish the Sorceress. The Paladins must unlock the hero within through a series of challenges that push their limits to restore balance to Everealm. If they fail, all will be lost. Heroes will rise. Kingdoms will fall.
Brought to the screen by the Academy Award and Emmy-winning teams behind The Lord of the Rings, The Amazing Race, and Queer Eye, The Quest is a groundbreaking, immersive, hybrid competition series that drops eight real-life teenagers (Paladins) into the fantastic, fictional world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Throughout the eight-episode series, these heroes are immersed in a fantasy world come to life, complete with a castle, royals, ethereal fates, all forms of mystical creatures and a sorceress intent on destruction and power.
