Like Zoe Kravitz’s ”High Fidelity“ remake, ”Love, Victor“ was deemed more on-brand for Hulu than Disney’s family-focused platform
“Love, Victor,” the upcoming TV series spinoff of the 2018 feature film “Love, Simon,” shifted from its original home at Disney+ over to Hulu on Monday, marking the second time a show initially set up at Disney’s family-oriented streaming service jumped to its less-family-oriented sister service. And the reason behind the decision to move it is in line with the reason that first series, the Zoe Kravitz-led “High Fidelity” remake, was also taken to Hulu: more mature content.
While representatives for Disney, Hulu and “Love, Victor” studio 20th Century Fox Television declined to comment, two individuals with knowledge of Disney’s told TheWrap that the show, inspired by the PG-13-rated 2018 film starring Nick Robinson, features a realistic depiction of growing up and family life that at times includes depictions of alcohol use, parents’ marital issues and sexual exploration.
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Because of these elements, insiders said, Disney thought the program’s content might alienate young children and families, the target demo for Disney+. For this reason, it was decided that “Love, Victor,” would be a better fit at Hulu, the home of older teen/young adult series like “Looking for Alaska,” “PEN15” and “Grown-ish,” which explore coming-of-age themes with a realistic, sometimes dramatic tone.
Also Read: 'Love, Simon' TV Series Moves From Disney+ to Hulu
Insiders said the decision had nothing to do with the fact that “Love, Victor” centers on a gay character, as Disney+ currently has LGBTQ characters on original series like “High Schoo Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
“Love, Victor” is set in the world of the “Love, Simon” movie, which was inspired by Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, “Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.” The series follows Victor (played by Michael Cimino), a new student at Creekwood High School (the school also featured in the film) on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.
Production recently wrapped on the 10-episode first season, which is set to launch on Hulu in June, and a writers’ room has been opened to begin exploring storylines for a potential second season.
Also Read: Why Hulu's 'High Fidelity' Gender-Flipped John Cusack's 'Hopeless Romantic' Role for Zoe Kravitz
“‘Love, Victor’ is funny, heartfelt and deeply affecting, and we were incredibly taken with the project,” Craig Erwich, senior vice president of originals at Hulu, said in a statement earlier Monday, when the show’s move was first announced. “The show’s contemporary lens and honest storytelling make it a perfect fit for the millions of fans on Hulu who already watch and see themselves in series like ‘Looking For Alaska,’ ‘Pen15’ and ‘Grown-ish.'”
Ricky Strauss, Disney+’s president of content and marketing, added: “With Hulu now an integral part of our streaming family, our teams are closely collaborating and we have the unique ability to choose the best home for our original productions. All of us at Disney+ are incredibly proud of ‘Love, Victor’ and know the series will be a perfect addition to Hulu’s strong slate of young adult programming.”
Along with Cimino, “Love, Victor” stars Ana Ortiz (“Whiskey Cavalier,” “Ugly Betty”) as Isabel, Victor’s smart and warm mother who loves her husband and her family, but is under a lot of pressure as they move their family across the country.
Also Read: 'Normal People,' 'Little Fires Everywhere': Watch Trailers for Upcoming Hulu Originals (Videos)
The cast also includes James Martinez (“One Day at a Time”) as Armando, Victor’s regular blue collar “guy’s guy” father who loves his family deeply and works hard for them. Isabella Ferreira (“Orange is the New Black”) plays Pilar, Victor’s sullen younger sister in the throes of teenage angst, while Mateo Fernandez will make his acting debut as Adrian, Victor’s adorable, good-natured little brother. Rachel Naomi Hilson (“This Is Us”) stars as Mia, Victor’s whip-smart friend with a quick wit and easy laugh, with Bebe Wood (“The Real O’Neal’s,” “The New Normal”) as her quirky and social media-obsessed best friend, Lake. George Sear (“Will,” “Into the Badlands”) portrays Benjie, Victor’s confident and charming classmate, with Anthony Turpel (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) as Felix, Victor’s lanky, awkward new neighbor, and Mason Gooding (“Book smart”) as Andrew, Creek wood’s cocky and popular basketball-loving jock.
Isaac Aptaker (“This Is Us”) and Elizabeth Berger (“This Is Us”), who wrote the 2018 film “Love, Simon,” serve as executive producers on “Love, Victor,” alongside Brian Tanen (“Grand Hotel”), Jason Ensler (“The Passage”), Isaac Klausner (“The Hate U Give”), Marty Bowen (“First Man”), Adam Fishbach (“Narcos”), Wyck Godfrey (“I, Robot”), Pouya Shahbazian (“Divergent”) and Adam Londy.
47 Best TV Couples of All Time, From Lucy and Ricky to Jim and Pam (Photos)
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With Valentine's Day right here, love is in the air yet again. And to mark the most romantic of occasions, TheWrap has rounded up the 47 best TV couples of all time. And while "best" is certainly a subjective term -- meaning we've probably left at least one of your favorite sets of lovers off this list -- we're sure readers who click through this gallery will find many a pairing that makes their hearts go pitter-patter. And just to be *extra* clear here, these couples are listed in no particular order.NBC/NBC/CBS/Sony Pictures TV/ABC
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Lily and Marshall, "How I Met Your Mother": Forget Ted and how he met his kids' mother, the true love story at the heart of this comedy was Marshmallow and his Lilypad.CBS
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Buffy and Angel, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": Theirs is a forever love. (Shut your mouths, Spuffy shippers.)20th Century Fox TV
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Randall and Beth, "This Is Us": Listen, Jack and Rebecca are great -- and they are on this list, too -- but R&B are the real #CoupleGoals in this NBC family drama.NBC
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Jim and Pam, "The Office": "To waiting."NBC
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Lucy and Ricky, "I Love Lucy": We love Lucy -- and Ricky.CBS
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David and Patrick, "Schitt's Creek": They're simply the best.Pop TV
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Eleanor and Chidi, "The Good Place": The definition of soulmates.NBC
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Archie and Edith, "All in the Family": Back when these two were on our screens, those were the days.Sony Pictures TV
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Snow White and Prince Charming, "Once Upon a Time": He will always find her -- and we will always stan.ABC
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Dwight and Angela, "The Office": Monkey and D were always meant to be, even if it took them until the series finale to finally tie the knot.NBC
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Jin and Sun, "Lost": Jin and Sun drowned us with their love. (Sorry, sorry, sorry.)ABC
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Kevin and Winnie, "The Wonder Years": What would we do if we didn't have these two?ABC
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Leslie and Ben, "Parks and Recreation": We love them and we like them.NBC
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George and Louise, "The Jeffersons": This married couple moved on up into our hearts in the '70s and have lived there ever since.CBS
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Homer and Marge, "The Simpsons": The only cartoon couple on this list, Marge and Homer have 31 seasons' worth of animated love under their belts and are still going strong.Fox
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Monica and Chandler, "Friends": Ross and Rachel may have kept us entertained with their drama, but Monica and Chandler taught us what a healthy, stable, loving relationship should look like.Warner Bros TV
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Stef and Lena, "The Fosters": Inspiring mothers, inspiring lovers.Freeform
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Coach Eric and Tami, "Friday Night Lights": Clear eyes, full hearts, these two can't lose.NBCU
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Tara and Willow, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": An important couple both in-universe and for the LGBTQ community in general, as Tara and Willow famously shared their first kiss in one of the most heartfelt and yet casual of ways, a moment that helped normalize same-sex relationships on television.20th Century Fox TV
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Cory and Topanga, "Boy Meets World": From childhood best friends to high school sweethearts to happily married, Cory and Topanga taught us the meaning of commitment. Like, serious commitment.Disney/ABC
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Mitch and Cam, "Modern Family": Mitch and Cam's love gave us so many beautiful moments, and a few cringeworthy situations, sure. But mainly beautiful moments, yes.ABC
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Rory and Jess, "Gilmore Girls": Reading is sexy.Warner Bros TV
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April and Andy, "Parks and Recreation": He's an adorable goofball, she could not be more cynical if she tried -- and we couldn't be more obsessed.NBC
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Fran and Maxwell, "The Nanny": Marrying your nanny probably wouldn't be seen as adorable in this day and age -- but it definitely was for viewers of "The Nanny," who shipped these two hard for years.CBS
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Sam and Diane, "Cheers": TV writers owe a debt of gratitude to the couple that started the "will they or won't they?" dynamic that has been used time and again by so many shows since.CBS TV Studios
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Paul and Jamie, "Mad About You": We're still mad about them -- in an endearing way, of course.Sony Pictures TV
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Cece and Schmidt, "New Girl": Nick and Jess are cute for sure -- but Cece and Schmidt are the real alpha couple from Fox's "Friends"-esque sitcom.20th Century Fox TV
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Veronica and Logan, "Veronica Mars": We still hear the bells.Warner Bros TV
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Mike and Carol, "The Brady Bunch": Here's the story of a quintessential married couple whose biggest problems could be resolved in under 30 minutes.CBS TV Studios
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Martin and Gina, "Martin": On-set drama between the actors aside, Martin and Gina gave broadcast viewers something they desperately needed in the '90s and still don't have enough today: an African-American relationship at the center of a show.Warner Bros TV
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Piper and Leo, "Charmed": Obstacles both supernatural and everyday got in this couple's way throughout the show's entire eight-season run. But in the end, there was nothing they could not overcome.CBS TV Studios
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Seth and Summer, "The O.C.": Complete opposites that completely complemented each other in the cutest of ways.Warner Bros TV
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Mulder and Scully, "The X-Files": Proof that the truth is out there -- and that if you write enough fan fiction about a potential couple then they will eventually get together on screen.20th Century Fox TV
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Elaine and Puddy, "Seinfeld": We can't do this couple justice by summing them up in a few words -- so here's a video compilation that we think accurately sums up their charm and dysfunction.Sony Pictures TV
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Dre and Rainbow, "Black-ish": We got the very definition of "ride or die" right here.ABC
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Zack and Kelly, "Saved by the Bell": Arguably the most iconic high school sweethearts in the history of TV.NBC
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J.D. and Elliot, "Scrubs": What's meant to be will always find a way -- even if it takes many, many seasons.ABC
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Joey and Pacey, "Dawson's Creek": If you're a Joey-Dawson shipper, you definitely don't know chemistry when you see it, because these two had it bad for each other and deserved the happy ending they got.Sony Pictures TV
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Meredith and Derek, "Grey's Anatomy": He may have never been her person -- and isn't even alive anymore -- but Derek will forever be Meredith's one true love.ABC
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Carrie and Mr. Big, "Sex and the City": While you could say that Carrie and Mr. Big are far from a perfect -- or even healthy -- couple, they are clearly a perfect match.HBO
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Kurt and Blaine, "Glee": A stunning small-screen example of not just lovely young love -- but of a same-sex couple experiencing all the same firsts as any heterosexual first loves.20th Century Fox
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Nick and Jess, "New Girl": These roommates-turned-lovers turned us into mush when they finally got together.20th Century Fox
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Ross and Rachel, "Friends": There were a lot of problems with this pairing over the years, for sure -- but he *is* her lobster.Warner Bros TV
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Roseanne and Dan, "Roseanne": In this particular case, we're gonna ignore the behind-the-scenes drama that ended this on-screen couple's relationship in the revival and focus on the joy they brought us during the sitcom's original run.ABC/Viacom
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Jack and Rebecca, "This Is Us": An everlasting love that only a slow cooker could kill. (Too soon?)NBC
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Booth and Brennan, "Bones": A woman of science, a man of faith, but make no bones about it, this couple belonged together from the start.20th Century Fox TV
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Niles and Daphne, "Frasier": Sometimes pining pays off.CBS TV Studios
In honor of Valentine’s Day, TheWrap rounds up the most iconic small-screen lovers
Jennifer Maas
TV Reporter • jennifer.maas@thewrap.com • Twitter: @jmaasaronson