A gay coming-of-age romance is coming to YouTube in August. The limited series The Nature of Us, produced by Americana Pictures, follows the story of two 18-year-olds, Elly and Yona, who fall in love the autumn after high school as they navigate their identities and the lives that lie ahead of them.

The series, which is directed, written, and shot by the creator of Dino At The Beach and Summer Of Mesa, Josh Cox, will debut on Friday, August 1, with the release of the first episode, ‘Fresh out the mental hospital’.

That and the following five episodes, each roughly 10 minutes long, will be available on YouTube incrementally over the course of three weeks.

“It’s really this story about two people who happen to be queer but are going through these very universal things,” said Cox to the Cape Cod Times. 

Cox cited the Netflix TV show Heartstopper as inspiration for the series, which he originally intended to make as a short film before deciding to split it into multiple instalments. The cinematography and sweeping landscapes of the trailer, soundtracked to the song ‘Us’ by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift, draw comparisons to Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name as well.

The Nature of Us was filmed on location in Cape Cod, where Cox grew u,p and the New England landscape is as important a part in the film as some of the characters. Benjamin Piers, who plays Elly, is also from the area. 

“I directed him in a student play when I was in the eighth grade,” said Cox. “It was great to shoot with someone who was also from the Cape.”

Yona, played by Sean Manucha, and Elly’s romance is promised to include both tender moments and unexpected crossroads. More updates on the release of The Nature of Us can be found on Americana Pictures’ Instagram page.