Television history is saturated with cooking competitions, from simple tests of traditional artistic and culinary skills to over-the-top events that challenge artists to move out of their comfort zones and create stunning one-of-a-kind creations unlike anything else. Today, Disney Plus announced Foodtastic, a new show that might be the most unique cooking and art contest in the history of broadcasting as well as the first to include a heaping spoonful of classic Disney magic.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress Keke Palmer, Foodtastic is an immersive global competition where artists create massive sculptures and scenes out of food. The press release promises that these sculptures will be larger than life and involve everything from butter and cheese to fruit and vegetables.
What sets this show apart from others is that contestants will be creating things based on Disney IP. On top of this, each challenge will be themed to fit within the world of that episode’s IP. In the Star Wars episode, for example, the artists will be helping a Rebel mechanic defeat the Galactic Empire. In the Toy Story episode, the contestants will be distracting Andy, making sure that he doesn’t realize that his robot toy is broken. In the Pirates of the Caribbean episode, they’ll be helping a retired pirate free the legendary Captain Barbossa!
The announced episodes cover all areas of the Disney brand, from Marvel properties such as Ant-Man and The Wasp and The Avengers to Pixar films like Cars and Up. Classic Disney animated movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast and even the oft-overlooked Muppets are also getting their own episodes. The Muppet one will see the competitors work with legendary daredevil Gonzo the Great!
Once the sculptures are crafted, a team of expert judges will be on hand to critique and rank them. This includes Amirah Kassem, the legendary baker, food sculptor, and founder of Flour Shop, one of the hippest and most popular contemporary bakeries in New York and the home of the viral explosion cake. Amirah will be joined by chef Benny Rivera, the founder of New York’s City Cakes⏤world-renowned for its show-stopping cakes that come in many unusual shapes and sizes. Because of this, the contestants will have to make some truly unique creations if they hope to go home with the big prize.
Produced by Endemol Shine North America, Foodtastic will be launching on Disney Plus on Dec. 15.
