‘Young Love’: First Footage Sees Zuri Needing Help With Her Hair!! Check It Out!!

San Diego Comic-Con is officially underway, taking place from this Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23. While the event had to shift many of its plans due to the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, some news and updates are still coming out of the event for film and television projects. Included among them is the forthcoming television series Young Love from Max. The Hair Love inspired series was greenlit three years ago, and today, Max released the first clip from the series.

As mentioned, Young Love is based upon the short film Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry. The 12-episode first season centers on a Black family: two millennial parents named Stephen and Angela, their young daughter Zuri, and her cat Rocky. The series will see Stephen and Angela work to balance their careers, parenthood, and marriage. Moreover, Young Love will examine relevant and pressing social issues as well as multi-generational dynamics as the family strives for a better life. Cherry created and executive produces the series.

The Hair Love short film premiered in 2019, itself an adaptation of the picture book by the same name that was written by Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. The story follows Zuri, who has a full head of hair with a mind of its own. While Zuri loves her natural curls, it’s a bit of a challenge for her to style it herself. So, on an especially important day, she enlists her father’s help, and he’s willing to learn. Hair Love takes a humorous yet clever and tender approach to its story, celebrating natural Black hair in all its glory and a father-daughter bond. The short film was written by Cherry, who co-directed with Everrett Downing Jr. and Bruce W. Smith. Issa Rae was the sole voice cast member as Zuri’s mother, a natural hair vlogger. In 2020, Hair Love earned the Oscar win for Best Animated Short Film.

Matthew A. Cherry’s Other Work

Though Cherry is widely known for his work on Hair Love, he has served as a writer, director, and producer for various film and television projects. In 2023 so far, Cherry directed episodes of Apple TV+’s Swagger, and CBS shows Young Sheldon and Ghosts. Additionally, he served as a director for Abbott Elementary, Black-ish, and Bel-Air, among several others. In film, Cherry wrote, directed, executive produced 9 Rides and The Last Fall. Some of his other credits include BlacKkKlansman (executive producer), The Last O.G. (co-producer), and more.