Disney+ face backlash after dropping Love, Simon series over "adult" content
25 February 2020, 11:44
Hulu will now host the Love, Simon television spin-off, Love, Victor, instead.
Disney+ is coming under fire after confirming that they will no longer release the upcoming Love, Simon series: Love, Victor.
Last year (Apr 11), Disney told The Hollywood Reporter that they would be transforming Love, Simon into a new TV show for Disney+. However, the company has now dropped the series and it will come out on Disney-owned network Hulu instead. Love, Victor will be set in the same universe as Love, Simon and it will follow high-school student, Victor (Michael Cimino), as he moves to a new city and struggles with his sexual orientation.
READ MORE: Disney are being called out over their "first openly gay" animated character
Love, Victor will debut on Hulu this June but fans are angry with Disney+'s explanation as to why they won't host the show.
Why did Disney+ drop Love, Simon?
THR reports that Disney believed that the "comedy featured more adult themes than it was comfortable featuring on family-focused Disney+. Those topics include alcohol use, marital issues and sexual exploration." Executives "feared they would not resonate with families who watch the service with young kids."
People are now calling out Disney+ for their coded language and refusing to air a series led by a queer main character. One person tweeted: "So #Lovevictor is too ‘mature’ for #DisneyPlus yet y’all have a series about a bounty hunter (Mando), a show where a girl almost gets raped (Runaways), an animated show that curses every 2 minutes (Simpsons)".
Another fan added: "Disney+ be like "We want a TV show with a gay character but like.... can he not do anything gay???? No??? Alright well then he can go to Hulu." On top of that, Leslie Grossman, who guest stars in the series, said that it's "really sweet and family-oriented".
suddenly desperate to know what specifically made the love simon TV series too horny for Disney+https://t.co/atmlXVv8Ye pic.twitter.com/IZQfPPdHGY
— Jackson McHenry (@McHenryJD) February 24, 2020
Anakin murders toddlers. https://t.co/J1iCrvRePU
— Stephen Byrne (@StephenByrne86) February 25, 2020
So #Lovevictor is too ‘mature’ for #DisneyPlus yet y’all have a series about a bounty hunter (mando) , a show where a girl almost gets drugged and raped (marvels runaways), an animated show that curses every 2 minutes (Simpsons), and a movie with Nazis (rocketeer/captain America) pic.twitter.com/mmEZyTSHvU
— inkiad🏳️🌈 (@Inkiadk) February 24, 2020
Yay, the new #LoveSimon show has a name!
— David Opie (@DavidOpie) February 24, 2020
Yay, it’s arriving in June!
Yay, the writers are already planning a second season!
Boo, Disney felt #LoveVictor was too “adult” for Disney+. Hope that’s true and they weren’t just scared off by more queer content than they expected 🌈 pic.twitter.com/wuMOSatNEn
Well I pop up in it so you can bet it is FILTHY jk it's really sweet and family oriented
— Leslie Grossman (@MissLeslieG) February 25, 2020
DISNEY+: Hey can we have a gay show?
— Florence Pugh’s Lady Marmalade (@Neil_McNeil) February 24, 2020
SHOW: *is gay*
DISNEY+: No not like that.
As a Disney gay (surprise...?), I'm allowed to call this the bullshit it so clearly ishttps://t.co/kFLj4uMnws pic.twitter.com/4MKTNDb6Wn
— Brennan Carley (@BrennanCarley) February 24, 2020
BREAKING: Disney pulls upcoming 'LOVE, SIMON' show from Disney+ after remembering "Oh yeah, I forgot we don't like gay people." pic.twitter.com/uuD5ps3nJL
— DiscussingMovies (@DiscussingMovie) February 24, 2020
what’s ur prediction on why disney + handed love, victor over to hulu? gays kissing? holding hands? locking eyes? breathing? the pee oh cees? pic.twitter.com/Q8bkTIijhE
— rafiah | erin day!!!! (@jharrelspearson) February 24, 2020
Given that the Love, Simon film and book stray away from "adult" themes, it seems bizarre that Disney+ have dropped the series based on that – and it's understandable why people are so sceptical. It's shameful that in 2020, Disney still haven't made a TV show with a queer character in the main role.
