The first season of the new series Love, Victor, inspired by the 2018 film Love, Simon, is making its move from Disney+ to Hulu ahead of its June premiere date. Production has wrapped on the ten-episode series, with This Is Us executive producers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who additionally wrote the 2018 film, serving as showrunners. The film was based off of the 2015 young adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.
The series comes after the massive success that was Love, Simon, a teen romantic comedy centering on closeted gay high school student Simon, which earned a 92% on RottenTomatoes and grossed $60 million worldwide on a budget of $10-17 million. The film was also lauded for showcasing a gay main character in a coming-of-age romance. The series’ development was announced in April 2019 upon Disney+ giving it a straight to series order. However, the series will now move to Hulu, coincidentally also a Disney-owned company. Neither has released a statement regarding what circumstances prompted the move.
Love, Victor, will star Michael Cimino (known for his role in Annabelle Comes Home) as the title character, a new student at Creekwood High (the same school featured in Love, Simon) experiencing trouble questioning his sexuality and adjusting to a new city. Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) will play Victor’s mother Isabel, James Martinez (House of Cards) will portray Armando, his father, while Rachel Naomi Hilson (known for playing teen Beth on This is Us) and Bebe Wood (The Real O’Neals) will star as Victor’s best friends, Mia and Lake. Nick Robinson, who played Simon in the film, will narrate the series in addition to executive producing.
Deadline notes the series will feature topics such as alcohol consumption, marital issues, and sexual exploration, which may explain why Disney decided to move Love, Victor from the family-friendly Disney+ platform over to Hulu. Recently premiered Hulu series High Fidelity experienced the same move, which also features similar adult themes. The platform is seemingly predicting the series will garner rave reviews similar to those of Love, Simon, with a second season writers room already in full swing.
Love, Victor will make its ten-episode first season available to stream on Hulu this June, during LGBTQ+ pride month.