(Top L-R): Maxwell Acee Donovan, Clare Margaret Donovan, and Raphael Luce
(Bottom L-R): Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, and Kyle Secor
Actor and first time director Maxwell Acee Donovan (The Better Sister, That ’90s Show) is officially launching his production company, MAD in Hollywood, alongside his sister, actress, and writer Clare Margaret Donovan (Bunk’d, The Gifted), with the debut of their first original project, the short-form web series Road to Healing releasing in early 2026. The series marks a dynamic sibling collaboration grounded in comedic storytelling, environmental awareness, and a new wave of creative independence in Hollywood.
Produced by MAD in Hollywood and Hammersaw LLC, with Nature’s Negotiators (an environmental nonprofit started by Maxwell and Clare) serving as fiscal sponsor, Road to Healing is an irreverent, eco-conscious comedy that sets a new benchmark for sustainable filmmaking on a SAG microbudget.
The series stars Maxwell and Clare alongside a standout ensemble including Maxwell’s That ’90s Show co-stars Callie Haverda and Ashley Aufderheide, Kyle Secor (Veronica Mars), Jennifer Sun Bell (KPop: Demon Hunters), Raphael Luce (Stranger Things), Reyn Doi (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Kale Culley (Walker), and introduces digital creator and author Haley Grace McCormick and newcomer Maya Boyce.
Road to Healing follows a ragtag group of L.A. driving instructors forced into insurance-mandated group therapy, where they rehash absurd and chaotic experiences with students, from wannabe influencers and sociopathic gamers to carpool karaoke-obsessed stepsisters. As their personal dramas unfold, rivalries simmer and their therapist’s own unraveling takes center stage.
The production, shot in just five days, exemplifies how sustainable filmmaking is not only feasible, but creatively liberating. The team generated less than one-quarter bags of trash, used thrifted and reusable kitchenware, issued reusable bottles and compostable essentials, and relied on EVs and rear-projection studios to dramatically reduce environmental impact without compromising on cinematic quality.
“This is more than a web series, it’s a proof of concept that comedy and climate action can go
hand-in-hand,” says Clare Margaret Donovan. “We wanted to create something that felt like
comfort food but carried a bigger message.” Maxwell Acee Donovan adds, “Launching MAD in
Hollywood with this project allowed us to showcase what’s possible when passion, purpose, and
family come together, and that low-budget, high-impact storytelling is the future.”
In a unique model, the cast and crew volunteered their time, with 10% of profits going to Nature’s Negotiators in perpetuity. The series is produced by Joey Simpson, John Landry, and Noah Shelton, with executive producers Erin Acee Donovan, Libby Boyce, and Maya Boyce.
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