Love, Victor’s move from Disney Plus to Hulu made writers wonder if LGBT+ issues are ‘inherently more adult’
Love, Victor star Michael Cimino with George Sear. (Disney)
Love, Victor‘s move from Disney Plus to Hulu made the show’s writers question whether LGBT+ issues are “inherently more adult”.
Brian Tanen, co-showrunner on the Love, Simon spin-off, opened up about the controversial decision to push the show over to Hulu due to its “adult themes”.
Speaking to Variety, Tanen revealed that a season two storyline – where Victor’s mother Isabel forbids him from telling his younger brother that he is gay – actually emerged from the decision to move Love, Victor to Hulu.
The move “did spur an interesting conversation in our writers’ room about whether LGBT issues are inherently more adult,” Tanen said.
He continued: “They are in some ways a discussion of sexuality, and sexuality is a little bit more of an adult topic.
“We wanted Isabel to grapple with whether it’s OK to have these conversations with kids. Because of course it is. These are just conversations about who people are.”
Moving Love, Victor to Hulu actually benefited the show in the long run
While the decision to move Love, Victor away from Disney Plus initially came as a shock, Tanen admitted that it ultimately ended up benefiting the show, as it allowed them to pursue a more nuanced depiction of Victor’s burgeoning sexuality.
The move also meant they were able to be more up front in exploring Victor’s relationship with Benji, no longer shackled by the constraints of making a television series for a “family friendly” platform.
The series has proven hugely popular ever since it debuted on Hulu last year. It was later given a UK release on Disney Plus’ Star offering, which includes more adult-focused content.
Speaking to PinkNews in February, Michael Cimino – who plays Victor in the series – explained that he prepared for taking on the role of a gay teenager by talking with his gay cousin about his experiences.
“We just talked about what happened to him and his experience, and what he had to go through to become the person that he is today,” Cimino said.
“And obviously, it hit kind of close to home because it’s literally my family member… it just showed me, not only how far my family has come, but also how far we need to go as a community and as a society to be accepting of everyone and who they are as people.”
