| Genre: | Documentary |
| Director: | Marina Zenovich |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Episodes: | 5 |
| Music: | Isobel Waller-Bridge |
| Cinematography: | Nick Higgins |
| Language: | English |
| Runtime: | 40-55 minutes |
| Network: | HBO Max |
The Way Down is an 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 Remnant Fellowship, a new Christian group led by Shamblin Lara and located in Brentwood, Tennessee. 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 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]
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]