Every week, 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) The trailer for Hulu film The United States vs. Billie Holiday was released this week. The film stars musician Andra Day as legendary bisexual jazz singer Billie Holiday, and focuses on the FBI’s attempts to discredit her due to the political activism in her music. The film also features Natasha Lyonne as Holiday’s lover Tallulah Bankhead, out actor Miss Lawrence as Miss Freddy, and is directed by out filmmaker Lee Daniels. Watch the trailer below! In more film trailer news, a trailer for out director Tate Taylor’s new dramedy Breaking News in Yuba County has been released. The film stars Allison Janney as a suburban housewife whose husband may or may not have gone missing, and also features out actresses Samira Wiley and Wanda Sykes and out actor Dominic Burgess in supporting roles. Watch the trailer here.
2) In more film trailer news, Bleeker Street has released the trailer for queer-themed drama The World To Come. Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby star as 19th century American homesteaders who find themselves drawn to each other under harsh conditions and loveless marriages. Watch the trailer below. In other film trailer news, the teaser for Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar was released this week. Co-starring out lesbian Fortune Feimster, the film follows Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo as longtime best friends who decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time ever. Watch the trailer here!
3) In other film news, JLo’s trans nibling’s documentary short film Draw With Me has been released for rental. Made in partnership with The Trevor Project, the film follows Brendan Scholl as they come out as trans and explore their identity through art. An official Oscar entry for documentary short, Draw With Me screened at the Tribeca Film Festival with support from GLAAD. Watch the trailer below and rent your copy here.
4) In more film news, out director Kyle Patrick Alvarez is set to direct the live-action film Crater for Disney+. Crater is described as a coming-of-age story in the vein of Stand By Me, set on a moon colony. In additional film news, out bisexual actress Anna Paquin is set to star in American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story from Lionsgate. Paquin will play the wife of Kurt Warner, who went from went from stocking shelves at a supermarket to becoming an NFL quarterback.
Kyle Patrick Alvarez will direct ‘CRATER’ for #DisneyPlus. The coming-of-age film is set on a moon colony and will follow a boy who explores a mysterious crater along with his friends prior to relocating to a new planet. It is planned for 2022. (Source: https://t.co/zsj6mASAug) pic.twitter.com/0gzevUKOjB
— Disney+ Updates (@moredisneyplus) January 13, 2021
5) In other film news, a first look at queer comedian and actress Tig Notaro in Zach Snyder’s upcoming film Army of the Dead has been released. Notaro plays helicopter pilot Marianne Peters in the Netflix film, set to be released on the streamer later this year. The comedian also reported that she has a new comedy stand-up special on the way, also for release sometime this year. In more film news, London-based sales agent Dogwoof has snatched up the rights to Sundance-bound documentary Ailey, about the groundbreaking out and Black choreographer Alvin Ailey.
6) In TV news, a new trailer for docuseries Trans in Trumpland was released this week. For the four-part series, director Tony Zosherafatain traveled to the red states of North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi and Idaho throughout the last four years to document the experiences of four trans individuals during the Trump presidency. The series, which is executive produced by out trans actress Trace Lysette, will premiere on the streamer Topic on February 25th; watch the trailer below. In other TV news, A Little Late with Lilly Singh has returned to its 1:30am slot on NBC for its newest season. The show is now filmed at a house in LA, with interviews done virtually. Catch the show here!
7) In TV news, Amazon has scooped up the international rights to Freeform thriller drama series Cruel Summer. Created by out writer and executive producer Bert V. Royal (Easy A), the series follows two girls over the course of three summers in the early 1990s, as one is abducted and the other becomes a popular girl. In other TV news, NBC has ordered to series comedy American Auto, featuring out actor Michael B. Washington (The Boys in the Band). The show takes place at the Detroit headquarters of a large American car company, as the executives try to rediscover the company identity amidst a rapidly changing industry. In more TV news, out actress Tessa Thompson has started her own production company, Viva Maude. The company has two big book TV adaptions in the works: Who Fears Death and The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
‘Cruel Summer’: Amazon Takes Worldwide Rights To Jessica Biel/eOne-Produced Freeform Series https://t.co/4CEPra8xTK
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 13, 2021
8) In other TV news, a reboot of Sex and the City has been confirmed at HBO Max. The new series, titled And Just Like That…, is executive produced by out producer Michael Patrick King, and sees the return of characters played by out actress Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristin Davis (Kim Cattrall is not attached to the project). In other TV dev news, HBO Max has also greenlit an eight-episode first season for Julia, about world-renowned chef Julia Child. Sarah Lancashire will play the titular role, while out actor David Hyde Pierce (Fraiser) will play her loving and devoted husband Paul. In more TV dev news, out actor Sean Hayes is set to executive produce a new TV show for NBC called Des & Lou. Produced through Hayes’ production company Hazy Mills, the show follows a Spanish spy and American CIA agent who form a task force to stop a dangerous organization.
9) In TV rewenal news, OWN’s Queen Sugar has been renewed for sixth season ahead of its season 5 premiere on Feburary 16th. The show features bisexual lead character Nova Bordelon, played by out actress Rutina Wesley. In other TV renewal news, TNT’s Animal Kingdom, which features a few supporting queer characters, will return for its sixth and final season, sometime later this year.
You’ve been here from the beginning, now be there to see the ending no one will see coming! Don’t miss the final season of #HAHN, coming to OWN this May! pic.twitter.com/HNcf1yc9cE
— Oprah Winfrey Network (@OWNTV) January 12, 2021
10) In TV casting news, Queer Eye‘s out host Karamo Brown has joined the cast of the fourth season of Dear White People in a recurring role. The final season is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2021. In more TV casting news, out actress Holland Taylor is set to star as a lead opposite Sandra Oh in Netflix’s The Chair, a new six-episode half-hour dramedy. The show centers on the chair of an English department at a major university. In other TV casting news, out actor Nathan Lane is set to join the cast as a recurring character in two new shows: Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building and HBO’s The Gilded Age. In Only Murders, Lane will play an owner of a popular New York City grocery store, while in The Gilded Age, he’ll play a wealthy millionaire New Yorker Ward McAllister from the 1880s.
‘Dear White People’: ‘Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown Joins Netflix Series As Recurring https://t.co/NWpkobBQhH
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 14, 2021
11) Out trans actress Trace Lysette has released a video to her new single “SMB” today. Watch the video below! In more music video news, queer artist Shamir has released a music video for song “Diet.” Watch the video here! In other music video news, queer musician Claud released a video to their song “Cuff Your Jeans” recently. Watch the video here.
12) Queer rock group Pillow Queens made their US TV debut this week with a performance of their song “Liffey” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, the rock band consists of four queer women. Watch the performance below. In more video news, out singer released a new video to song “Hey Boy” featuring Burna Boy. Watch the video here.
13) In event news, out singer Lady Gaga is set to sing the National Anthem for Biden-Harris inauguration on January 20. Jennifer Lopez is also set to perform a musical number. In other event news, out musicians Brittany Howard and Phoebe Bridgers are set to perform for the 34th annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert on February 17th. Proceeds benefit Tibet House US which was founded as a cultural institution to ensure the survival of Tibetan civilization and culture. Buy tickets here. In further event news, out musician Adam Lambert is celebrating his 39th birthday with a livestream concert event called “Adam Lambert Live” on January 29th. The show, which will take place live from the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, will feature performances from his 2020 album Velvet, along with other favorites from his career. Buy your tickets here!
I am deeply honored to be joining @BidenInaugural on January 20 to sing the National Anthem and celebrate the historic inauguration of @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! pic.twitter.com/MfgcG3j4Aa
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 14, 2021
14) In book news, the debut novel Detransition, Baby by out trans writer Torrey Peters is out this week. The book follows the lives of three characters: Reese, a trans woman who wants a child; Ames, who has detransitioned, causing a rupture in his and Reese’s relationship; and Katrina, a cisgender woman and Ames’ boss. When Katrina becomes pregnant with Ames’ child and is unsure if she wants to keep the child, Ames wonders if perhaps this is the chance he’s been waiting for to repair his relationship and start a family. Buy your copy here or at your local bookstore!