"Love, Simon" Begins Production For Disney+

Michael Cimino Leads An Ensemble Cast Including Ana Ortiz

Original Series from Executive Producers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and 20th Century Fox Television Inspired by Acclaimed 2018 Film

Star of Original Film Nick Robinson Onboard as Series Producer

The Disney+ original series "Love, Simon" begins production this month in Los Angeles with up-and-coming actor Michael Cimino ("Annabelle Comes Home," "Training Day") in the lead role of Victor. The half-hour series from 20th Century Fox Television returns to the world of the 2018 groundbreaking hit movie, "Love, Simon."

Set in the world of the film, the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School 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.

Ana Ortiz ("Whiskey Cavalier," "Ugly Betty") stars 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. Nick Robinson ("Love, Simon", "Jurassic World"), who starred in the original film, will also produce and narrate the series. The film's original writers Isaac Aptaker ("This Is Us") and Elizabeth Berger ("This Is Us") executive produce the series 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"), and Pouya Shahbazian ("Divergent"). Amy York Rubin ("Casual") directs the first episode with her creative partner Pilar Boehm co-executive producing. Adam Londy will also co-executive produce.

"'Love, Simon' is a powerful story embraced by critics and audiences alike for its universal messages of authenticity, love, and acceptance," said Agnes Chu, senior vice president, content, Disney+. "We are honored to partner with the talented team at 20th Century Fox Television to bring this new chapter of a beloved story to Disney+, continuing the personal and uplifting narrative that captivated fans of the original film."

"We could not be more excited to be making 'Love, Simon' for Disney+," said Executive Producers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. "Writing 'Love, Simon' was one of the most profound and enjoyable experiences of our careers to date and we are beyond thrilled that we get to revisit this world and tell the story of Victor, a brand new Creekwood student, and his family and friends. We have a phenomenal group of writers with tremendously personal connections to the material crafting our episodes, and have assembled a dream team cast and crew to bring these stories to life, and cannot wait to share what we're working on with the world."

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 his family. Isabella Ferreira ("Orange is the New Black") plays Pilar, Victor's sullen younger sister in the throws 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'Neals," "The New Normal") as her quirky and social media-obsessed best friend, Lake. George Sear ("Will," "Into the Badlands") portrays Benji, 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 ("Booksmart") as Andrew, Creekwood's cocky and popular basketball-loving jock.

About Disney+

Launching in the U.S. on November 12, 2019, Disney+ will be the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more, together for the first time. From The Walt Disney Company's Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, Disney+ will offer ad-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content including series "The Mandalorian," "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," "The World According to Jeff Goldblum," and "Encore!" and films "Lady and the Tramp" and "Noelle." Alongside unprecedented access to Disney's incredible library of film and television entertainment and 30 seasons of "The Simpsons," the service will also be the exclusive streaming home for films released by The Walt Disney Studios in 2019 and beyond, including "Captain Marvel," "Avengers: Endgame," "Aladdin," "Toy Story 4," "The Lion King," "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," "Frozen 2," and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." Visit DisneyPlus.com to learn more.

About Twentieth Century Fox Television

A division of Disney Television Studios, Twentieth Century Fox Television is one of the industry's most prolific suppliers of entertainment programming, including the No 1. Series on all of broadcast, NBC's THIS IS US; Fox's No. 1 drama, 9-1-1 and No. 1 comedy LAST MAN STANDING, ABC's long running Emmy Award-winner MODERN FAMILY, FX's No. 1 series AMERICAN HORROR STORY; and the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS, in addition to dozens of others. Disney Television Studios, comprised of ABC Studios, Fox 21 Television Studios and 20th Century Fox Television, produces series which reach more than a billion people every day across the world; in as many as 180 countries, across six continents, in 30 different languages.