Degrassi Documentary “Whatever It Takes” Unites Stars Across Generations
Updated on
Published on
- World premiere Sept 13 at TIFF; directed by Lisa Rideout and produced by WildBrain and Peacock Alley.
- Features stars across eras, including Drake (Aubrey Graham), Shenae Grimes-Beech, Miriam McDonald, Stefan Brogren, Amanda Stepto, and more.
- Charts the franchise from Kids of Degrassi Street (1979) through The Next Generation and Next Class, with creators Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn reflecting on its impact.
- Trailer highlights both the show’s cultural influence and the personal costs for young cast navigating fame.
The definitive Degrassi documentary is official: Degrassi: Whatever It Takes bows September 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival, bringing cast, creators, and superfans together for a deep dive into the teen-TV powerhouse. Directed by Lisa Rideout and produced by WildBrain with Peacock Alley, the feature promises an unvarnished look at how a scrappy Canadian series became a global rite of passage.
Across the film, stars from multiple generations—including Drake, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Miriam McDonald, Stefan Brogren, and Amanda Stepto—revisit storylines that “went there,” from teen pregnancy and addiction to mental health, while creators Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn trace the evolution from Kids of Degrassi Street through The Next Generation and Next Class. The trailer positions the doc as celebration and reckoning, exploring what the show gave audiences and what the spotlight demanded of its young ensemble.
TIFF lists the project as a TIFF 50 Official Selection with a Scotiabank Theatre premiere, and WildBrain’s launch materials frame it as the first comprehensive, feature-length chronicle of the franchise. Distribution details are still to come, but the festival bow signals awards-season ambitions—and a likely rush of nostalgia as fans across eras reunite around Degrassi’s most famous refrain: “whatever it takes.”
