The animation alumnus, also known as ViziePop, has transformed her YouTube hit into a bonafide Prime Video Series
An image from the animated series Hazbin Hotel, created by SVA alumnus Vivienne Medrano (BFA 2014 Animation).
An image from the animated series Hazbin Hotel, created by SVA alumnus Vivienne Medrano (BFA 2014 Animation).
An R-rated, animated musical comedy set in hell? Not bad for your first animated television series.
When SVA last spoke to VivziePop, a.k.a. Vivienne Medrano (BFA 2014 Animation), she was a DIY artist and freelancer who had created her own series, Hazbin Hotel, about Charlie, the daughter of Lucifer and princess of hell, and her attempts to run a rehabilitation center for demons.
Medrano posted the pilot episode on YouTube, where it gained over 92 million views and built worldwide fan base. Hollywood came knocking, and now a Hazbin Hotel series—from Medrano, A24, and FOX Entertainment’s Bento Box Entertainment (known for producing Bob’s Burgers)—is set to premiere on Prime Video next Friday, January 19. Medrano serves as executive producer and directed all the episodes.
In a recent interview with Animation Magazine, Medrano talked about the origins of her series, and how it developed during her time as a BFA animation student.
“Some of these characters that you see on the show have been with me since middle school,” she says. “I began telling the stories in comics and short films and through [my time at] SVA. . . . I was lucky to study at SVA, which is an amazing school, and I really developed my animation style there.”
As it was in its YouTube incarnation, Prime Video’s Hazbin Hotel blends adult humor, unforgettable characters and catchy musical numbers to create a unique world. Music is, in fact, a significant component of the show—the trailer features a new original song, “Ready For This,” from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg, who contributed original music and lyrics for the series.
Vivienne Medrano (BFA 2014 Animation), creator of Hazbin Hotel, at Winter Wonderland hosted by Amazon Freevee and Prime Video at The Culver Studios on December 13, 2023, in Culver City, California.
Vivienne Medrano (BFA 2014 Animation), creator of Hazbin Hotel, at Winter Wonderland hosted by Amazon Freevee and Prime Video at The Culver Studios on December 13, 2023, in Culver City, California.
“Hazbin Hotel is not an easy show to put in a box,” Medrano said. “It’s an adult comedy that also has a lot of heart and drama. It’s incredibly queer and it’s a musical.”
In another interview, with Cosmic Circus, Medrano said that work on a second season for Prime has already started. “Obviously, it follows the events of Season 1, which people haven’t seen yet, [but it] focuses on a very fun villain . . . one we meet in Season 1.”
On the series’ website, hazbinhotel.com, fans can preorder special packages that include exclusive merchandise, early access to the first two episodes and a virtual Q&A with Medrano and other guests.
The first season of Hazbin Hotel consists of eight episodes, with four episodes premiering on Prime Video on Friday, January 19, and two episodes rolling out weekly through Friday, February 2. The series will be available to stream in more than 240 countries and territories.
Watch the (NSFW!) trailer below, as well as a lyric video from the series and SVA’s 2019 video interview with Medrano.