Please Don't Feed the Children

A group of orphans head south in search of a new life after the country's adult population is wiped out from a viral outbreak. Soon they discover a dangerous secret from a deranged woman.^[2]

In March 2023, it was reported that Destry Allyn Spielberg would make her feature directorial debut with Please Don't Feed the Children, from a script by Paul Bertino, with Michelle Dockery being cast in the lead role.^[3] In May 2023, Regan Aliyah, Zoe Colletti and Andrew Liner were cast.^[2] The following month, Joshuah Melnick, Emma Meisel and Dean Scott Vazquez joined the cast.^[4] Vernon Davis and Giancarlo Esposito were announced as part of the cast later that year.^[5][6]

Principal photography took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico in July 2023.^[4] The production was granted an interim agreement allowing the actors to continue working on the film during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.^[7] The film faced production challenges, and although filming concluded in November 2023, several crew members and vendors had not received payment as of May 2024. While the production qualified for $750,000 in New Mexico tax credits, the credits could not be issued until all outstanding payments were resolved. Lead producer Jason Dubin acknowledged the delays and pursued additional financing on multiple occasions to address the remaining obligations.^[8] It was reported by producers later in May that all New Mexico crew and vendors had been paid.^[9]

The film had its world premiere at the 57th Sitges Film Festival on October 11, 2024.^[10][11] It was released in the United States on June 27, 2025, on Tubi.^[12]