The cast of the Love, Simon spin-off series discuss its tortuous road to release on Disney+ and the need for more diverse TV
The road to Love, Victor’s release has not been smooth sailing. The show – a spin-off of Love, Simon, a quietly groundbreaking film about a closeted gay teenager, based on a bestselling young adult novel by Becky Albertalli – was originally meant to be a part of the Disney+ slate of original programming. Telling a new story set in the same universe as the film, it focuses on a teenager, Victor, played by the newcomer Michael Cimino. Victor, like Simon, is unsure about his sexual identity. Unlike Simon, however, Victor’s coming out does not prove simple. After hearing about Simon’s story, Victor reaches out to him via social media and the two strike up a pen-pal relationship, with Simon guiding his younger charge through the highs and lows of high school.
Yet when Disney+ launched in the US in 2019, Love, Victor was missing. It was later announced that the show had moved to another Disney-owned streaming service, Hulu. According to a report by Variety, Disney, always fearful of controversy, felt that “many issues explored on the show, including alcohol use and sexual exploration, would not fit in with the family-friendly content on Disney+”. This meant that Love, Victor was also missing when Disney+ launched in the UK.
