Sean P. MeansA sports competition show hosted by star podcaster Alex Cooper will be filming in Utah this month — with the state providing some financial support.
The series, called “Unwell Winter Games,” was one of three productions approved for film incentive money by the Utah Board of Tourism Development, the Utah Film Commission announced Thursday.
The competition series is being developed and hosted by Cooper, known for her popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast. It is based on her Unwell brand, described as a “Gen Z-focused media and lifestyle brand.” The games will feature Olympic-style competitions with celebrities, athletes and internet stars, the film commission said.
“Unwell Winter Games” has completed filming in Park City, the film commission said. No word yet on where the competition will be shown.
“Filming in Park City allows us to leverage Utah’s iconic scenery as well as its production infrastructure, world-class hospitality, and vibrant creative community,” TJ Marchetti, the production’s executive producer — and chief brand officer for Unwell — said in a statement released by the film commission.
Two other productions also received incentive funds from the tourism board, and they both are popular TV shows shooting their seventh seasons this spring: The New Testament drama “The Chosen” and the reality show “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Extras walk to the lunch tent, between takes, during the filming of season 6 of The Chosen, in Goshen, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
“The Chosen” will start shooting Season 7 — which is set to depict the days between Jesus’ crucifixion and his resurrection — in and around Goshen, in southern Utah County. The town is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ motion picture studios, which have been used as a stand-in for Jerusalem on the series in past seasons.
Brad Pelo, president of “The Chosen’s” production company, said the team is looking forward to returning to Utah.
“The people are wonderful, the landscape is stunning, and the locations we use work perfectly,” Pelo said in a statement. “We hope we get to be guests here frequently, as it’s a beautiful place to bring the story of Jesus to life.”
Parts of Season 6 of “The Chosen” were shot in Goshen last year. The episodes, set in the hours leading up to the crucifixion, are expected to be shown late this year and in early 2027.
(Natalie Cass | Bravo) Bronwyn Newport, left, and Heather Gay pair up in a kayak during an RV trip in Provo Canyon, on the first episode of Season 6 of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” is expected to start shooting its seventh season this month in Salt Lake County, the film commission said.
“Utah provides a stellar background for filming from both a creative and technical perspective,” a representative for Forest Productions Inc. said in a statement, adding that the series “will showcase the spectacular locations that Utah has to offer, including mountain vistas, ski resorts and the surrounding towns, featuring a top-quality crew base and filming infrastructure.”
Traditionally, “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” debuts its seasons in September and runs them through to the reunion episodes in January.
The three productions combined are expected to generate an estimated economic impact of $11.3 million and create more than 175 new jobs while filming in Juab, Salt Lake, Summit and Utah counties, the film commission said.
Correction, Feb. 10 • A quote from the executive producer of the “Unwell Winter Games” was attributed to the wrong person in an earlier version of this story, due to an error by the Utah Film Commission.
Sean P. Means has been reporting and editing for The Salt Lake Tribune since 1991 — including 25 years as movie critic. Since 2018, he has reported on arts and culture reporter, and breaking news — and was part of The Tribune’s COVID-19 reporting team. He reviews movies for MovieCricket.net and X96’s “Radio From Hell” program.