Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love Getting TV Series Treatment as Young Love for HBO Max

Matthew A. Cherry's Oscar-winning short film Hair Love is getting the TV series treatment on HBO Max.

Matthew A. Cherry predicted his Oscar win, but did he see this coming? Hair Love is becoming an animated series, Young Love, on HBO Max.

The new streamer announced Cherry, who created the series, will also serve as showrunner with Carl Jones on the 12-episode series based on the characters in the Oscar-winning short film. Monica A. Young, David Steward II and Carl Reed are also executive producers on the series.

"I am beyond excited to continue telling the story of Stephen, Angela and Zuri and further explore the family dynamics of a young Black millennial family we established in our short film Hair Love as an animated series," Cherry said in a statement. "Couldn't ask for better partners in Sony Pictures Animation and HBO Max in helping us get Young Love out to the world."

Hair Love featured the relationship between a Black father and his daughter, Zuri, and followed him as he did his daughter's hair for the first time. Young Love will expand on the family introduced in the short film. HBO Max described the series in a press release as "an honest look into the world of the Young family—including millennial parents Stephen and Angela, their daughter Zuri and her pet cat Rocky—as they juggle their careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics all while striving to make a better life for themselves."

Issa Rae provided the voice of Zuri's mother in the short film.

"Hair Love struck a chord that is still resonating deeply with audiences of all ages," Billy Wee, SVP of original animation at HBO Max, said in a statement. "Matthew and Sony Animation's creative voices are a welcomed addition to the HBO Max family and we can't wait to bring this joyous story to the world."

Hair Love was released as a children's book in May 2019 as well.

"It's a privilege to continue our partnership with Matthew Cherry, who has a gift for tapping into meaningful stories that touch our hearts. I personally can't wait to collectively laugh and cry with the Young family," Karen Rupert Toliver, executive vice president of creative for Sony Pictures Animation, said in a statement.

No premiere date for the new series was given.