102. Lesley Iwerks, Executive Producer and Director of The Imagineering Story

Lesley Iwerks directed the incredible new Disney Plus series The Imagineering Story, which premiered in November.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

It’s difficult to explain the allure of theme parks. Regular guests enjoy them but don’t have the obsessive need for details from behind the scenes. I love discovering the backgrounds of Imagineers that created Disneyland and parks around the world. Their stories are what makes The Imagineering Story such an incredible series. Produced and directed by Leslie Iwerks, this six-part show hits all the right notes.

Iwerks is my guest on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about The Imagineering Story and more. She describes the origins of the ambitious five-year project and what it was like to make it. It was a huge challenge to condense more than 65 years of theme park history into only about six hours. Iwerks also talks about what excited her about producing this series.

What strikes me about The Imagineering Story is how different it looks from typical features. Iwerks is an accomplished filmmaker with past features including The Pixar Story, Citizen Hearst, and Pipe Dreams. Her family history with father Don and grandfather Ub Iwerks gives her a unique perspective on Disney and Imagineering. We also talk about her family background and how it played a role in this project. I really enjoyed the chance to learn more about such an effective series.