Five long years after Vivziepop’s 2019 release of theHazbin HotelYouTube pilot “That’s Entertainment!”, the animated musical series returned for its first season on Amazon Prime. However,the highly-anticipated release ofHazbin Hotelseason 1 brought with it a major changethat was met with criticism from the series’ cult following.
Between the 2019 release of the YouTube pilot and the 2024 release of season 1 via Amazon Prime and A24, Vivziepop re-auditioned each major role, leading to agroup recasting ofHazbin Hotel. This newHazbin Hotelseason 1 castwas met with a good deal of pushback from Hellaverse fans who had been following the project since its Patreon-funded inception, and vague communication from the show creator led to speculation about the reasons behind this drastic change. However, the fact thatHazbin Hotelseason 1 set a Prime Video streaming recordseems to indicate that the change may have been for the better.
Season 1 Of Hazbin Hotel Replaced Every Single Major Character Voice Actor
Hazbin Hotelcreator Vivienne Medrano produced “That’s Entertainment!” with the help of a large cast of freelance artists, including fan favorites Edward Bosco and Gabriel C. Brow in the role of Alastor, Michael Kovach as Angel Dust, and Mick Lauer as Husk. TheHazbin Hotelcasting in season 1 brought in more well-established names: Amir Talai, Stephanie Beatriz, and Keith David took over the roles of Alastor, Vaggie, and Husk, andBroadway talents such as Kimiko Glenn and Alex Brightmanstepped in as Niffty and Sir Pentious.
The pilot episodes ofHazbin HotelandHelluva Bosswere released one month apart from one another, in October and November of 2019, respectively.
While there was a good deal of criticism from fans who had been following the project since its crowdfunded roots, the majority ofthe pilot cast was accepting of the change. Musical artistBlackGryph0n even created a farewell music video featuring the original voice cast, entitled “Thank You and Goodnight!”
However, due to overlaps in timing, many fans speculated that the reason whythe release ofHazbin Hotelseason 1 took so longwas down to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. These strikes began in June of 2023 and ended that November, mere weeks before the release ofHazbin Hotelseason 1.
Allegations Of Strikes Leading To The Recast
Hazbin Hotel Season 1 Experienced Delays That Overlapped With The 2023 SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Fortunately, it has been conclusively disproven that SAG-AFTRA affectedHazbin Hotel’s season 1 release date. According to Instagram stories posted by season 1 Alastor actor Amir Talai,Hazbin Hotelwas operating on a SAG-AFTRA contract that was not struck.
Helluva Bosshas featured a similar recasting, though to a lesser extent. The series has yet to be picked up by a major network, but since its pilot, several characters have been recast with more well-established names (such as Barrett Wilbert Weed in the role of Octavia, and Bryce Pinkham in the role of Stolas).
Additionally, both the original pilot cast members andthose cast forHazbin Hotelseason 1 were heavily supportive of SAG-AFTRA, dispelling the idea that Vivziepop recast the series to avoid navigating limitations from the strikes. Kimiko Glenn and Amir Talai were particularly vocal in their support of the union on their respective social media accounts.
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Blake Roman
Vivienne Medrano has since explained that A24 and Amazon Prime picking upHazbin Hotelseason 1 led to some logistical problems, and settling into this contract caused the release of the first season to be delayed. Vivziepop has since assured fans that thewait for theHazbin Hotelseason 2 releaseshould be much shorter. Additionally,Hazbin Hotelhas been confirmed for seasons 3 and 4.
The Change Was For The Better
Hazbin HotelSeason 1 Brought In Broadway Talent That Contributed To The Series' Immediate Success
While many members of the pilot cast were well-established in their own right, Vivziepop has explained thatthe choice to refine theHazbin Hotelcasting was for musical purposes. The crowdfunded indie pilot episode featured two separate actors for many of the show’s roles, with one cast for speaking and another for singing. Taking into account fair pay as well as the fact that the series was picked up by a major network, it makes sense thatHazbin Hotelneeded to prioritize casting well-established voice actors who could fill both speaking and singing roles.
Vivienne Medrano’s fourth-year thesis film project was named after the song “Timber” by Kesha, and she went on to animate a music video for Kesha’s song “Die Young” two years after starting her YouTube channel. Later, in June 2023, Kesha played the role of Queen Beelzebub in Vivziepop’s showHelluva Boss.
The season 1Hazbin Hotelmusical numbersarguably benefitted from this change. While the talent of the series’ pilot cast was undeniable and well-loved,Hazbin Hotel’s ongoing success depends upon excellence in the realms of both musical theater and voice acting. In addition to casting big names, the series continues to provide breakout opportunities to talent such as Blake Roman, and the highly positive reception ofHazbin Hotelseason 1 indicates that the fanbase has quickly become endeared to this new cast.
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TheHazbin Hotelseason 2 musical numberswill continue to reveal more of the new cast’s capabilities, especially for characters such asNiffty (Kimiko Glenn) and Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), who have yet to step into the vocal spotlight. WithHazbin Hotelseason 2 reportedly set to focus more on Overlords, it’s likelyHazbin Hotelseason 2 will see the voice actors of Alastor (Amir Talai), Vox (Christian Borle), and Valentino (Joel Perez) continue to shine.
Hazbin Hotel
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Hazbin Hotel is an adult animation series created and directed by Vivienne Medrano. Hazbin Hotel centers on Lucifer’s daughter, who opens a hotel for misfit demons she thinks can be redeemed in order to reduce Hell’s overpopulation. The first season of Hazbin Hotel premiered on Prime Video on August 20, 2025.
