The story
Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell, refuses to accept that sinners are beyond saving. With Hell overcrowded and angels descending every year to cull its residents, she opens a hotel meant to reform demons so they might earn a place in Heaven. Backed by her girlfriend Vaggie, a sceptical first guest called Angel Dust and the powerful Radio Demon Alastor, who joins largely for his own amusement, she sets out to prove the idea isn't a joke.
Why it matters
Hazbin Hotel is an indie animation breakthrough: a Patreon-financed pilot made by freelance animators racked up 54 million YouTube views and led A24 to turn it into a series. On Prime Video it became, as of January 2024, the service's biggest global debut for an animated series, and it is now renewed through a planned fifth and final season.
From web series to TV
Vivienne Medrano's independently made pilot, funded by her Patreon backers, was released on her YouTube channel on 28 October 2019 and had 54 million views by early 2021. A24 picked the show up in August 2020, and the series premiered on Prime Video on 19 January 2024, with its first episode also on YouTube for a limited time the day before.
Notable facts
- Medrano began funding the project through Patreon in 2014, and the pilot took more than two years to animate. (source)
- As of January 2024 it was the largest global debut for an animated series on Prime Video. (source)
- When season two debuted it briefly became the number one show worldwide on Prime Video. (source)
- The pilot's success led to the spin-off Helluva Boss, which began in November 2019. (source)