The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBTQ-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) In film release news, The Craft: Legacy, the sequel to the 1996 original film, has been released on digital demand. GLAAD’s own Anthony Ramos recently interviewed the cast of the film; catch the conversation here. In case you missed it, re-watch the trailer for the Sony and Blumhouse film here, which stars trans actress Zoey Luna as Lourdes, a trans girl who is part of the teenage coven. In other film release news, The True Adventures of Wolfboy has been released in select theaters and wherever you rent or buy movies. This beautiful coming-of-age story follows Paul, a young “wolfboy,” as he struggles with his condition with help from his friend Aristiana (trans actress Sophie Giannamore), a young trans girl. Watch the trailer for the Vertical Entertainment release below, and read GLAAD’s own Nick Adams’ interview with the screenwriter of the film Olivia Dufault, a trans woman, here.
2) The first trailer for out producer Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix film The Prom has been released. The movie musical adaptation follows a group of New York City stage actors who visit a small Indiana town to help a young high school student go to prom with her girlfriendand revive their own careers. Watch the star-studded trailer below, and catch the film on the streamer December 11.
3) In other movie trailer news, Netflix released the trailer for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a new film about the life of Black queer blues legend Ma Rainey. You can catch the trailer below and watch the movie December 18 on Netflix.
4) In film development news, out entertainer Jonathan Groff is set to reunite with Frozen 2 costar Kristen Bell in a new live-action musical comedy Molly and the Moon. Groff and Bell play a couple who are expecting a child and sing to their unborn baby in the womb. In other film news, out musician and producer Lance Bass is producing an *NSYNC superfan movie for Sony Pictures, with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend creator Rachel Bloom set to write the script. The story is based on the real-life experiences of two best friends who spent a summer following *NSYNC on their last world tour.
5) In casting news, 
UK animation studio Aniventure has announced casting details for its upcoming animated film Hitpig. The film is set to include voice roles for out actress Lilly Singh, out entertainer RuPaul, and out comedian Hannah Gadsby. Set in a futuristic world, the film follows a bounty hunter pig who accepts his next hit: Pickles, a naive elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil trillionaire. In other casting news, out actress Ellen Page has been cast in gaming comedy 1UP, in what could be the first feature film for Buzzfeed Studios. Page plays a college e-sports coach enlisted to help an all-women gaming team. In more casting news, out actor Jussie Smollett has set the cast for his upcoming feature directorial debut, B-Boys Blues, an adaptation of out writer James Earl Hardy’s 1994 novel of the same name which explores the experiences of the Black LGBTQ community. The cast includes out trans actor Marquise Vilson, out musician Bry’Nt Bailey, out comedian Sampson McCormick, singer Ledisi, and more.
6) A new trailer for NBC’s reboot of Saved by the Bell has been released. The new show features Josie Totah as Lexi, a sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High. Watch the trailer for the sequel series below, and catch it streaming on Peacock November 25. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has announced that Season 2 will return in early 2021, while Season 3 has already been renewed! Watch the announcement video below. In other renewal news, Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for a fourth season by CBS All Access. Season 3 of the show features actors Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander as new non-binary and transgender characters, while returning queer characters continue to be played by out actors Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz.
8) In TV casting news, Caitlyn Jenner will star in Duke of the Valley, a new scripted sitcom from Duke Van Patten that follows the lives of residents in a fictional San Fernando Valley apartment building. Jenner plays a trans woman who sells perfume at a Macy’s counter. In other casting news, Tamara Podemski has joined the cast of Amazon’s mystery drama series Outer Range, as Deputy Sheriff Joy. A life-long cop, Joy is running for county sheriff, and is the first gay Native American to ever do so in Wyoming. In more TV casting news, out Tony-nominated actor James Cusati-Moyer (Slave Play) is set to join the cast of Shonda Rhimes’ upcoming Netflix limited series Inventing Anna. Inspired by true events, the show revolves around New York City con artist Anna Delvey, who pretends to be a German heiress to con the rich and elite of NYC. Cusati-Moyer plays Val in the show, a stylist and fashion director who befriends Anna and gets to see the havok she wreaks in person.
out musicians Tegan and Sara Quin’s bestselling memoir High School has been put into development as a coming-of-age comedy series by IMDbTV, Amazon’s free, ad-supported streaming service. Out creator Clea DuVall will write the series, as well as direct the pilot episode. In other development news, GLAAD Media Award-nominated out actors and producers Ryan O’Connell, Jim Parsons, and Todd Spiewak have landed a half-hour comedy called Accessible with HBO Max. With O’Connell writing and Parsons and Spiewak executive producing, the half-hour “traumedy” follows Clare, a 15-year-old girl who’s recently been in an accident and is forced to attend a boarding school for people with all kinds of disabilities.10) In more development news,
NBC has given a script commitment to a figure skating comedy from out figure skater Adam Rippon, out writer Billy Finnegan (Grace and Frankie), Susan Kittenplan, and 20th Television. In more NBC news, the network has given a pilot commitment to the Native American family drama Sovereign, which boasts out producer Bird Runningwater and Ava DuVernay among its executive producers and trans writer/director Sydney Freeland as one of two writers. Per NBC, Sovereign marks the first Native American family drama developed for network television. The project “chronicles the lives, loves and loyalties of a sprawling Indigenous family struggling to control the future of their tribe against outside forces and themselves.”
11) In other NBC news,
the network has also put into development a comedy called Uncivil, produced by out producers Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills and Universal TV, and set to star comedians Rell Battle and Pardis Parker. In more NBC news, the network has pulled coronavirus-era comedy Connecting, which features trans actress Shakina Nayfack, from its primetime schedule. The remaining episodes will air solely online on Peacock and NBC.com.
12) In other TV news, the first global LGBTQ+ virtual cable TV network Revry launched OML on October 29. OML on Revry is the first 24/7 live TV channel catering to queer women. Watch the teaser trailer for the new channel below. In more TV news, Showtime’s Couples Therapy will air a special called Couples Therapy: The COVID Special. The special will follow Dr. Orna Guralnik’s work as she tries to help a number of different couples, including a few queer couples, as they deal with stressors related to the global pandemic. Watch the trailer for the special here and catch it on Showtime December 13 at 8pm PT.
13) In music news, Ariana Grande’s video for new song “positions” features appearances by a number of queer creators, including Tyler Ford, Misha Lambert, Victoria Monet, and Tayla Parx. Check out the new video below! In other Tayla Parx news, the out bisexual singer/songwriter has a new solo song and video out called “Residue.” Watch the colorful animated video here.
14) Out singer Elton John performs in Teyana Taylor’s new video for her song “Lose Each Other.” Watch the celebrated musician play piano alongside Taylor in the video below. In more music video news, Big Dipper released a new video to his song “Back Up Off Me.” Filmed in LA’s Eagle Bar before quarantine, catch the video here. Additionally, John Duff has released a music video for his song “Give a F*ck,” in which he wears purple silk pajamas, dazzling sequins, feathers and lace. Watch the new video here.
15) In other music news, out bisexual artist dodie has announced the premiere date of her debut album, Build a Problem, due out March 5, 2021. Watch the announcement video for the album release here and watch the lyric video for dodie’s newest single, “Cool Girl” below. In other music news, out artist Kalen Allen announced that his debut album For Christmas Sake! is due out next Tuesday. The holiday album will feature songs with MJ Rodriguez and Alex Newell. For Christmas Sake! will be available for pre-order starting on Saturday, November 7, and hits digital music stores and streaming platforms on Tuesday, November 10.
16) In more song release news, out musician Brandi Carlile joined the legendary Alicia Keys for a Get-Out-The-Vote song called “A Beautiful Noise.” Watch the duet below! In other song release news, out bisexual artists Arlo Parks and Clairo have teamed up for the song “Green Eyes.” You can watch the video for the song here and pre-order Park’s debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams here, out January 2021. Additionally, out country singer Ty Herndon and Kristin Chenoweth have released a song together called “Orphans of God,” from Herndon’s album Regifted, out November 27. Listen to the audio for the song here, and watch GLAAD’s own Anthony Ramos interview Herndon and Chenoweth about the duet here!
17) In album release news, the soundtrack to upcoming Hulu lesbian rom-com Happiest Season is out today, November 6! The all-LGBTQ-artist soundtrack boasts the likes of musicians such as Anne-Marie, Charlie Hanson, Bebe Rexha, Shea Diamond, Sia, Brandy Clark, and LP, and is executive produced by out producer Justin Tranter. Check out the first single from the album, “Make You Mine This Season” from out singers Tegan and Sara below, and buy or stream the album wherever you listen to music! Happiest Season is out on Hulu November 25.
18) In other album release news, out singer Sam Smith released their third studio album Love Goes on October 30. Buy or stream the album everywhere music is available, and watch the video for their latest single “Kids Again” below! In more album release news, out drag star Yvie Oddly’s debut album Drag Trap is out now. Stream or buy the album through all digital platforms, and watch the video for single “Hype” featuring fellow out drag star Vanessa Vanjie here.
19) The nominations for the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards have been announced, with several queer-inclusive nominees including Mr. SOUL!, The Fight, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, A Secret Love, Howard, and Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado making the list. Due to the ongoing pandemic, winners will not be announced at a ceremony as in the past, but rather by a special announcement November 16. Watch the trailer for nominee A Secret Love, produced by out producer Ryan Murphy for Netflix, about a lesbian couple who kept their love under wraps for decades.
20) In further documentary award news, the International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the shortlists for best feature and best short for the 36th annual IDA Documentary Awards. The shortlists include queer-inclusive docs such as Disclosure, Crip Camp, and Welcome to Chechnya. Up to 10 nominees in each of the categories will be announced on November 24, with the virtual awards ceremony taking place in January 2021. Watch the trailer for HBO doc Welcome to Chechnya below, about a group of activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ persecution in the republic of Chechnya.
21) In comic book news, 
BOOM! Studios announced the return of the blockbuster series WYND in May 2021 with issue #6, kicking off the next chapter in the acclaimed original series by out bisexual writer James Tynion IV and artist Michael Dialynas, with letterer Aditya Bidikar. Tynion IV and Dialynas previously collaborated for three years on the GLAAD Media Award-winning series The Woods. In other BOOM! Studios news, the GLAAD Media Award-winning series Lumberjanes is in development to be an animated series and special for HBO Max. Out co-creator Noelle Stevenson, who has proved her animation chops showrunning Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (another GLAAD Media Award nominee), is set to write and executive produce.
22) Out writer Bryan Washington’s debut novel Memorial is out now. The book follows interracial gay couple Benson, a Black day care teacher, and Mike, a Japanese American chef, with a funny and profound story about family in all its strange forms. Buy it now wherever books are sold, and look out for the upcoming A24 television adaptation of the novel, as previously reported. Watch Washington’s recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers below.
23) In other book news,
lesbian gothic horror Plain Bad Heroines by out writer Emily M. Danforth (The Miseducation of Cameron Post) is also available now. A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period-inspired illustrations, Plain Bad Heroines is a devilishly haunting, modern masterwork of metafiction that manages to combine ghostly sensibility, dark imagination, sharp humor and incisive social commentary into one laugh-out-loud funny, spellbinding, and wonderfully luxuriant read. Buy it now wherever books are sold!