Hulu Orders ‘Up Here’ Musical Series From Steven Levenson, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Thomas Kail & ‘Frozen’ Duo

Hulu has given an eight-episode series order to Up Here, a musical romantic comedy from Tony-winning Dear Evan Hansen writer Steven Levenson, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show); Tony-winning Hamilton director Thomas Kail; and the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy-winning duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen, WandaVision). 20th Television and Kail’s Old 320 Sycamore Productions co-produce the series, which is casting with production set to begin this summer in New York.

Kail will direct Up Here, written by Levenson, Sanchez-Witzel, Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez will also pen original songs for the series. The quintet executive produces with Jennifer Todd.

2022 Hulu Pilot & Series Orders

Up Here is a musical romantic comedy set in New York City in the waning days of 1999, following the extraordinary story of one ordinary couple as they fall in love and discover that the single greatest obstacle to finding happiness together might just be themselves – and the treacherous world of memories, obsessions, fears, and fantasies that lives inside their heads.

The project falls under the overall deal Kail and Todd signed with 20th TV in 2020 to develop for all platforms under Kail’s Old 320 Sycamore Pictures banner.

Kail and Levenson previously collaborated on the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon, landing Emmy nominations for directing (Kail) and writing (Levenson, with Joel Fields) and sharing in Fosse/Verdon‘s Outstanding Limited Series nomination.

Levenson most recently penned the screen adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical, tick, tick… Boom!, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield.

For Sanchez-Witzel, who’s currently under a deal with Netflix, Up Here stems from the overall deal she had at 20th Television where she served as showrunner on the praised comedy The Carmichael Show. 

Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez together won Oscars for writing the songs “Let It Go” from Frozen and “Remember Me” from Coco and an Emmy for “Agatha All Along” from Disney+’s WandaVision. Robert Lopez is also a Tony winner; he is the only person to have won all four EGOT awards more than once.

Levenson, Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are repped by WME. Sanchez-Witzel is repped by UTA, manager Howard Klein at 3 Arts and attorney Karl Austen of Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum. Levinson also is repped by attorney David Berlin.