Director Matt Wolf (“Teenage,” “Bayard & Me”) has provided a minor update on his upcoming documentary film focusing on the behind-the-scenes world of daytime soap operas, particularly “The Bold and the Beautiful,” recently sharing with PEOPLE, “I’m not a lifelong soap fan, but I sure am now.”
First announced in January, Wolf says that the aptly titled “Soaps” documentary broadly reflects the cultural significance of soap operas and how much work is undertaken in bringing stories from the page to the screen week after week, day after day and year after year.
As part of the documentary, Wolf was granted unprecedented access to the half-hour series helmed for more than 30 years by head writer and executive producer Bradley Bell — “The Bold and the Beautiful,” along with sister soap “The Young and the Restless,” was created by the Bell’s parents, the late William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, in 1987 and 1973, respectively.
“It’s really a process film that shows how soap operas are made, but it also explores the history of the genre through this extraordinary family legacy that’s not well known,” Wolf said. “I’m focused on the day-to-day inner workings of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful,’ showcasing the workplace follies as well as the incredible craftsmanship and artistry behind the scenes that deliver stories to rapturous fans five days a week for nearly half a century.”
Wolf also points out that the story is told “through the prism of the Bell family dynasty.”
While a release date has not been announced for the documentary, nor what platform fans can expect to view it on when it does, Wolf recently celebrated the release of his two-part documentary “Pee-wee as Himself,” which premiered last month on HBO after previously making its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
“Pee-wee as Himself” follows the life of the late artist and performer Paul Reubens and his alter ego Pee-wee Herman.
