Exclusive Insider Scoop: The Remarkable Journey of Matthew Cherry & Mark Davis from Hair Love to Young Love at SDCC 2023!

Summary

Young Love is an expansion of the Oscar-winning animated short Hair Love, centered around the Young family and their experiences with life, love, and parenting.

The show boasts an impressive ensemble, with Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi and Issa Rae portraying Zuri's parents, while introducing Brooke Conaway as the voice of Zuri.

The creators strived to meet the high expectations established by Hair Love's success, aiming to develop a family-friendly show that incorporates valuable feedback from fans of the original short film.

Young Love, a forthcoming animated series, is set to delve deeper into the world of Hair Love, the winner of the Best Animated Short Oscar in 2020. Focused on the heartwarming tales of the Young family across different generations, the show will particularly highlight millennial parents Stephen and Angela, along with their daughter Zuri, who starred in the original short. The cast includes Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Issa Rae as Zuri's parents, with Brooke Conaway making her mark as Zuri herself.

The creative force behind both Hair Love and Young Love is Matthew Cherry, who impressively foresaw his Oscar triumph years in advance. In addition to his acclaimed work on Hair Love, Cherry has directed episodes of Ghosts and co-produced The Last O.G. He takes on the role of showrunner for the upcoming animated series, with Mark Davis serving as supervising director.

Screen Rant interviewed Matthew Cherry and Mark Davis at San Diego Comic-Con, where they discussed their plans to turn the animated short into a full television series, the casting process for Young Love, and their proudest moments in the creative process. Please note that this interview took place prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show being discussed would not have been possible without the contributions of the writers and actors from WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

Matthew Cherry & Mark Davis Talk Young Love

Hair Love, the Oscar-winning animated short that you worked on, has experienced various forms of success. In addition to being a highly successful picture book, we explored the possibility of expanding its story. We considered both a movie and a TV show, but ultimately, a TV show seemed like the best direction to take. The family dynamic portrayed in the short film, despite the absence of dialogue, hinted at a rich backstory and history. It was exciting to transition these characters from silent figures propelled by music and score to individuals with distinct voices and personalities. We delved into their conflicts and other elements necessary for creating engaging television content.

The tone was challenging because Hair Love became incredibly popular. It has garnered over a hundred million views on YouTube and millions of copies have been sold of the book. This meant that there were already high expectations, as many kids adore this story and parents enjoy experiencing it with their children. Therefore, we aimed to ensure that the tone of the new story would be enjoyable for the entire family. We opted for a co-viewing approach where both children and parents could immerse themselves in Zuri's world.

Regarding the feedback received from Hair Love, Mark, could you discuss how we incorporated any of it into this new story?

Mark Davis: Indeed. Matthew often shares with me that he receives daily tags of young girls emulating Zuri, wearing the cape and sporting Afro puffs. We aspire for this trend to persist even after the series is released, aiming for a similar enthusiastic reaction from the audience.

You mentioned that the characters didn't speak initially, but now we want to give them a voice since we're familiar with them. So, how did the casting process go for finding the right Zuri?

Matthew Cherry: Zuri was the most challenging to cast because there were various directions we could go in. We had the option of having an adult who can mimic a child's voice. However, one issue with casting children is that they age, and as these shows can take two to three years to make, their voices can change by the second season. Nonetheless, we were fortunate to discover a remarkable young woman named Brooke Monroe Conway. She exudes vitality and has a great sense of humor. We had to slightly increase the comedic elements for her character because Zuri is around six years old, and we didn't want parents to feel that the show was too childish or reminiscent of a preschool program.

She is thoroughly enjoying herself in more mature situations and conflicts, showcasing her exceptional talent. She is truly a remarkable discovery. Additionally, we have the talented Issa Rae returning, infusing her unique voice into the character of Angela Young, who is the mother. Kid Cudi takes on the role of the father, Stephen Love. Zuri's full name is Zuri Young Love. In addition, we have an incredible voice cast including Loretta Devine, Harry Lennix, and Tamar Braxton. It is an outstanding ensemble overall.

Mark Davis: I am extremely excited to see how people will react to Zuri, as she has a knack for stealing the spotlight. Her performance is truly outstanding. This is going to be an amazing experience.

What has been the most challenging or proudest moment for you so far in the process?

Mark Davis: Reflecting on it, the entire show was produced amidst the backdrop of the pandemic, which has made me contemplate. With 15 years of experience in animation, I've come to appreciate the camaraderie formed within a studio, where colleagues unite to strive towards a common goal. Amidst the pandemic, there were discussions suggesting that animation could still continue, as people were able to work from home and operate their computers. However, I must emphasize that it was exceedingly arduous to execute this project during such challenging times.

Throughout the process, we often overlooked the significance of our actions. However, in hindsight, it is truly remarkable that we managed to create an animated TV show amidst the pandemic while never having the opportunity to meet our colleagues face-to-face.

I appreciate how this endeavor not only portrays a Black family but also incorporates a multi-generational storyline. For each individual involved, what does it feel like to contribute to this narrative with your unique perspective?

Matthew Cherry: The most enjoyable aspect, in my opinion, is witnessing the interaction between individuals from completely different generations, namely grandparents. On the internet, there is a constant discussion about the impact of the younger generation and the phrase “okay, Boomer.” Each person has their own unique perspective on the matter. It is fascinating to see how six distinct characters, faced with the same issue, approach it based not only on their personalities but also on the time period in which they grew up. Additionally, the current generation, Gen Z, is incredibly vocal and challenges many of the beliefs held by millennials and older generations. Incorporating this dynamic with a slightly more conservative outlook has generated significant conflict within our show.

About Young Love

Bringing together humor and heartfelt moments, Young Love is a brand-new comedy series exclusively on Max Originals. This animated show offers a truthful glimpse into the lives of the Young family, consisting of Stephen and Angela, a couple navigating the challenges of being millennial parents. Alongside them is their daughter Zuri and her beloved pet cat Rocky. Balancing their professional lives, maintaining a successful marriage, raising a child, addressing social issues, and handling the complexities of multiple generations, the Youngs strive to create a brighter future for themselves.

Young Love premieres on Max in the Fall of 2023.