Dancing for the Devil: Release date, cast, plot, and everything we know so far

Netflix is gearing up to release a new documentary series, Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. The three-part docuseries is set to premiere on May 29, 2024, on Netflix and will tell the story of a group of dancers who are managed by a company called 7M. However, many believe the company is a cult that controls its dancers.

As per Netflix, the official synopsis for the show reads:

"After TikTok dancers join a management company and its associated church, unsettling details about the founder and their dark realities come to light."

Inspired by real-life events, the documentary series is directed by Derek Doneen and executive-produced by Jessica Acevedo.

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Dancing for the Devil, story explored

Melanie and Miranda Wilking (Image via Instagram/@wilkingsisters)

Sisters Miranda and Melanie Wilking rose to fame as dancers on the social media site TikTok. As their success began to rise, Miranda began distancing herself from her family while spending more time with her church-affiliated talent management company, 7M.

Eventually, Miranda completely cut off her family and stopped communicating with them. The upcoming docuseries depicts Miranda's story, but she is not alone. Besides her, many dancers have been reported to be in a similar situation under the Los Angeles-based 7M Films management company. The company is owned by Robert Shinn, who also serves as a pastor at Shekinah Church.

As per Netflix, former 7M employees as well as church members have accused Shinn of controlling behavior. Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok cult director Derek Doneen said:

"I think audiences will be surprised by how easily regular people can get sucked into cult-like groups and how devastating the impact can be on families, friends, and communities. I’m in awe of the families who let us in as they worked tirelessly to rescue their loved ones."

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The cast of Dancing for the Devil

The Wilking sisters (Image via Instagram/@wilkingsisters)

The Wilking family, consisting of Melanie Wilking and her parents, Kelly and Dean, feature prominently in the new Netflix documentary series Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. They first made headlines when they posted an Instagram video in 2022 to talk about Miranda's disappearance and accused 7M of being a cult.

Now, the family provides an in-depth look into their struggle and grief in the new series. They are set to be joined by other dancers and employees who escaped the 7M company and are now attempting to expose the shady practices of its founder, Robert Shinn.

Details have not been provided about the rest of the cast's identities at the time of writing this article.

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Lawsuit against Dancing for the Devil team by Robert Shinn, explored

Katie Joy Paulson is an internet personality who describes herself as a blogger and an "investigative nerd" on her Instagram bio (@withoutacrystalball). She worked with the Wilking family for several years in an attempt to get Miranda back to her family while exposing 7M's alleged malpractices.

In an April 24 post, Katie claimed that she helped in the creation of the documentary as a consultant. She also revealed that Robert Shinn had filed a lawsuit against her in an attempt to stop the production of Dancing for the Devil.

"Robert Shinn filed a lawsuit against me and others involved in the production of this series, in my opinion, to attempt to stop the production and prevent people from coming forward. While the lawsuits are still pending, his threats and legal action did not stop the production."

In another post, she detailed that Shinn had filed two lawsuits against her in 2022, one in California and the other in Minnesota. She explained:

"In both lawsuits, Robert Shinn has blamed my reporting and the work of the other group for causing dancers like Aubrey Fisher, Kevin Davis & Kylie Douglas from leaving the group. Despite the fact that the same people filed a lawsuit against him for defrauding them, sexual battery, unjust enrichment, labor violations and other violations."

In another separate post made on May 3, she accused the 7M company of exploiting dancers and immigrants. She wrote:

"In fact, this story encompasses more than 25 years of trauma and victims... This is not a harmless group. This is a sophisticated group that premeditated this plan years before they found the dancers."

Paulson also expressed her opinion that Shinn would likely sue Netflix and the production companies involved following the release of the docuseries in "an attempt to reclaim the narrative."

It remains to be seen what the Netflix docuseries will reveal about 7M's alleged activities. Robert Shinn has not given a public statement responding to the docuseries at the time of writing this article.

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Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult will premiere on May 29, 2024, exclusively on Netflix.