In an era where reboots and adaptations flood streaming queues, Netflix is serving up a heartfelt homage to one of young adult literature’s most enduring tales: Judy Blume’s Forever… (1975), reimagined as the eight-episode series Forever. Premiering on May 9, 2025—just in time for summer crushes and graduation nostalgia—the show stars Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. as Keisha and Justin, two Black teens whose whirlwind high school romance grapples with joy, heartbreak, and the raw ache of growing up. Created by Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Chi), this contemporary spin on Blume’s groundbreaking exploration of first love and sexual awakening has already ignited buzz, with early screenings praising its authentic vibe and emotional depth. As Netflix eyes a second season greenlit mere days after launch, Forever isn’t just a series—it’s a cultural reset for Gen Z romantics, proving that some stories age like fine wine.

Blume’s original novel, a National Book Award finalist that sold over 3 million copies, broke barriers by depicting teen sex with unflinching honesty—no moralizing, just the messy thrill of discovery between high schoolers Katherine and Michael. Banned in schools for decades over its explicitness, it became a rite of passage for generations, tackling consent, identity, and heartbreak without the fairy-tale gloss. Akil’s adaptation relocates the story to present-day Los Angeles, centering Keisha (Simone), a fiery track star with Ivy League ambitions, and Justin (Cooper Jr.), a soulful aspiring DJ navigating family pressures and his own dreams. “It’s about being seen in a world that often overlooks young Black love,” Akil told Variety at Netflix’s Tudum event in April 2025, emphasizing how the update amplifies diverse voices while honoring Blume’s spirit. Blume herself endorsed the project, stating in a Netflix blog, “Mara’s lens makes it resonate even more today—love doesn’t change, but how we tell it does.”

The series kicks off with a chance reunion at a house party, where Keisha and Justin—childhood acquaintances turned strangers—lock eyes amid pulsing beats and stolen glances. What follows is a montage of milestones: awkward first dates at Venice Beach, fumbling explorations in borrowed cars, and late-night confessions under starry skies. But Blume’s signature realism creeps in—Keisha’s ultimatum in episode six forces Justin to confront his guarded heart post-heartbreak, while episode eight’s college-bound finale leaves viewers gutted under a ramen shop’s neon glow. Clocking in at 40-50 minutes per episode, the show blends Akil’s signature wit with Blume’s poignancy, scored to a playlist of R&B slow jams (think SZA and Daniel Caesar) that had test audiences ugly-crying. “We let the kids be soft and complicated—no villains, just humans figuring it out,” Akil shared on The Drew Barrymore Show promo spot, crediting her Girlfriends roots for the ensemble’s lived-in banter.

Casting Simone and Cooper Jr. was a stroke of genius. Simone, 26, fresh off Insecure and Greenleaf, infuses Keisha with unapologetic fire—her track scenes pulse with determination, mirroring the character’s drive to shatter glass ceilings at Howard University. “Keisha’s me at 17: bold, but scared of losing herself in love,” she told Essence in a May cover story, drawing from her own LA upbringing. Cooper Jr., 27, channels Justin’s quiet intensity—vulnerable yet magnetic—honed from roles in Greenland and The Photograph. Their chemistry? Electric. Off-screen, they bonded over Blume’s book during table reads, with Cooper joking at the premiere, “We basically lived the rom-com—awkward kisses included, minus the rain.” Supporting turns shine too: Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project) as Keisha’s sassy bestie Chloe, and Atlanta‘s Brian Tyree Henry voicing Justin’s absent dad in voiceovers that hit like emotional haymakers.

Production wrapped in late 2024 after a swift six-month shoot in LA’s diverse neighborhoods—from Crenshaw block parties to Malibu sunsets—on a modest $25 million budget that prioritized intimate sets over CGI spectacle. Akil, directing three episodes alongside Insecure‘s Kerry Washington, leaned into handheld cams for that diary-like feel, echoing Blume’s first-person prose. “Judy wrote about the butterflies and the bruises— we filmed both,” Washington noted in a Hollywood Reporter roundtable. Netflix’s gamble paid off: Early metrics post-premiere show 15 million hours viewed in week one, trending in 50 countries and spiking Blume’s backlist sales 300% on BookTok.

The renewal for season two, announced at Netflix’s May 14, 2025 Upfronts—six days after debut—was no surprise. “This wasn’t just first love; it was about visibility,” Akil beamed in her statement, teasing a sophomore year jumping to college chaos: long-distance strains, new temptations, and Keisha’s track scholarship woes. Blume, 87 and still penning from her Key West perch, called it “gratifiying—50 years later, and these kids are still breaking my heart in the best way.” Fans, who petitioned for the adaptation since 2022’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret success, flooded socials: #ForeverNetflix racked 2 million posts, with duets recreating the iconic beach kiss going viral on TikTok.

Critics are smitten. The New York Times hailed it a “vibrant update that doesn’t sanitize the sweat,” earning an 89% Rotten Tomatoes fresh rating, while Vulture praised its “soft edges on tough topics” like consent and racial microaggressions in interracial dating. Some purists nitpick the modern gloss—adding social media montages absent in the book—but Akil counters, “Teens text their crushes now; we honor the evolution.” Amid Netflix’s YA boom (To All the Boys reruns still dominate), Forever carves a niche: diverse, dialogue-driven, and defiantly optimistic in a cynic’s scroll.

Broader ripples? The series spotlights Blume’s legacy—her fights against book bans now echoed in 2025’s culture wars, with Akil donating proceeds to PEN America. It also boosts Simone and Cooper as breakout stars; Simone’s inked for a Shonda Rhimes pilot, while Cooper eyes a Waverly spinoff. Netflix’s strategy shines: Low-risk IP with high emotional ROI, countering subscriber slumps (up 2 million post-premiere).

As episode eight fades on that ramen-lit reunion—Keisha whispering, “Forever starts now”—viewers are left hooked, tissues in hand. Forever isn’t mere nostalgia; it’s a mirror for today’s tangled hearts, proving Blume’s truth: First love changes you, but it doesn’t have to end you. Stream it, swoon over it, and maybe text that old flame. The wait’s over—love’s just getting started.