Everything we know about the Love, Simon spinoff series so far
A Love, Simon TV series was announced last year for Disney Plus. Here’s everything we know about the spinoff so far.
When Disney Plus announced their first slate of original shows and movies last spring, fans of the hit 2018 Love, Simon film were thrilled to learn that a spinoff series was in the works. Now that filming for the first season has wrapped, let’s take a look at what fans can expect when the series likely hits the streaming service later this year.
Here is everything we know about the upcoming Love, Simon spinoff series so far.
The premise
The Love, Simon series will star Michael Cimino (Anabelle Comes Home) as Victor, who has relocated to Atlanta’s Creekwood High and has to navigate his sexuality in a new city. Yes, the spinoff will emanate from the same location as the film. This is great news as many fans enjoyed the setting’s vibe captured from Becky Albertalli’s original novel, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda.
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Rather than directly being a “sequel” to the film, the Love, Simon show is considered to be based off of Albertalli’s follow-up novel, Leah on the Offbeat. The book covered Leah’s struggles with relationships, sexuality, self-esteem and several other important issues. Katherine Langford portrayed Leah in the original film, but there’s no word yet on if she’ll appear in the series.
The cast
Who else can we expect to meet in Victor’s life? Well, this spinoff will feature a lot more diversity than the film with a primarily Latinx family at the heart of the show. Ana Ortiz (Whiskey Cavalier) will take the role of Victor’s mother, Isabel, while James Martinez (One Day at a Time) portrays his father, Armando. Victor has a younger sister, Pilar, played by Isabella Ferreira (Orange is the New Black), and an even younger brother, Adrian, played by Mateo Fernandez.
Victor will have a couple of friends at his side as well to help him through his troubles. Rachel Naomi Hilson (This Is Us) joins the cast as Mia, the smart, quick-witted friend. Bebe Wood (The Real O’Neal’s) will star as Lake, who is described as the social-media obsessed best friend. Like the movie, I’m sure social media will play a huge role in the series when it comes to Victor’s struggles.
Elsewhere at Creekwood High, George Sear (Into the Badlands) will be Benji, Victor’s “confident and charming classmate.” Mason Gooding (Booksmart) will be Andrew, the school’s cocky basketball jock, and Anthony Turpel (No Good Nick) will be Felix, Victor’s awkward neighbor.
Interestingly enough, Hilson’s role as Mia was originally slated for Johnny Sequoyah (American Housewife), but a new creative direction caused the recasting. We can also expect to see Sophia Bush recurring as Mia’s father’s new girlfriend.
Will Nick Robinson be involved?
Nick Robinson starred as Simon Spier in the original movie, but clearly he will not be taking center stage this time. In fact, Robinson is working on the series as a producer behind the scenes. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see him on screen, or at the very least, hear his voice. Robinson’s Simon character will serve as the show’s narrator and will be featured as someone Victor turns to when things get rough. Considering Simon loved emailing Blue in the film, my guess is Victor communicates with Simon via email or social media messaging.
Who’s in charge?
Greg Berlanti, director of the 2018 film, will unfortunately not be returning due to his overall deal with Warner Bros. TV. Berlanti has produced a number of popular series including the Arrowverse shows, Riverdale, and most recently, Netflix’s You.
However, fans are still in luck because the talented This Is Us producers, Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, will serve as the showrunners after penning the film’s screenplay. We also know that Amy York Rubin will direct the pilot. Rubin’s directing credits include episodes of Fresh Off the Boat, Grown-ish, and Dead to Me.
When can we stream the Love, Simon series?
The bad news is, Disney has yet to announce when Love, Simon will make its highly-anticipated debut on Disney Plus. The good news is, filming began in August and wrapped in December, meaning the show is now in post-production and is one step closer to being ready for the world to watch. My guess is the fall season will be a prime time for the show to premiere.
If you haven’t seen the Love, Simon movie or need a refresher, check out the trailer below:
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Are you excited for the spinoff series? What are you hoping to see from Disney in this ambitious project? Sound off below!
The Love, Simon spinoff series is expected to stream on Disney Plus later this year.