Wise Child Studios has named veteran executive producer and showrunner Leslie Mattingly as head of documentary as it expands its nonfiction team following the debut of “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” on Netflix.
Jason Beekman, co-founder and CEO of Wise Child Studios, said: “Wise Child Studios was founded as a lean and agile company with a full-service production factory, and that philosophy has given us incredible momentum in just over two years.”
Wise Child is on a roll with the success of “Reality Check,” which has been making waves since its premiere on February 16th. This three-part series is co-produced by Wise Child Studios and EverWonder Studio.
Mattingly is an experienced executive producer and showrunner with experience working for major production companies such as Fremantle and Radical Media. During her tenure, she collaborated with award-winning filmmakers such as Joe Berlinger and Skye Borgman. She recently helmed the History Channel’s blockbuster documentary series The Great War, overseeing its multi-location production, including scripted sequences shot in Cape Town.
Mr. Mattingly also spent more than 15 years as a senior staff producer at Peacock Productions, NBC’s former feature unit.
Wise Child Studios also executive produced the feature-length documentary Asco: Without Permission with executive producers Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. The film has been screened at over 15 film festivals, including its premiere at SXSW 2025. It also opened the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and was screened at the New York Latino Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, the Heartland International Film Festival, and had additional screenings at MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Since its founding in 2023, Wise Child Studios has focused on streamlining the creative process and enabling the development of high-end projects on smaller budgets by combining strong strategic leadership with in-house legal counsel. In just one year, the company has built a highly curated catalog of scripted and nonfiction series, features, and formats.
