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.) Utopia debuted the U.S. trailer for the provocative queer thriller FEMME. The debut feature from out filmmakers Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping follows Jules, whose life and career as a drag artist is destroyed by a brutal homophobic attack. But when he re-encounters his attacker, Preston, in a gay sauna, Jules is presented with a chance to exact revenge. Unrecognizable out of his wig and makeup, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life, and in doing so, discovers power in a different kind of drag. FEMME opens in New York March 22 and Los Angeles March 29, with a national expansion to follow on April 5. Check out the trailer below and don’t miss FEMME in theaters!
2.) Universal Pictures shared a first-look at Wicked. The untold story of the Witches of Oz stars queer Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young misunderstood woman, who has yet to discover her true power, alongside Ariana Grande as Gilda, a popular woman who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship, ultimately fulfilling their destinies as Gilda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. The film’s all-star ensemble also includes out actors Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince, and Bowen Yang as ShenShen, a conniving compatriot. Find the teaser below and watch Wicked Part One in theaters this Thanksgiving!
3.) The groundbreaking queer couple Negasonic Teenage Warhead (out actress Brianna Hildebrand) and Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna) return in the first official teaser for Deadpool & Wolverine. In the film, Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth Deadpool. The pair team up to defeat a common enemy. Watch the Deadpool threequel in theaters July 26!
4.) FilmNation Entertainment and Bleecker Street have debuted a first-look clip of upcoming drama Treasure, set for a U.S. theatrical release June 14. A father-daughter road trip set in the 1990s, Treasure follows Ruth (Lena Dunham), an American music journalist, and her father, Edek (gay actor Stephen Fry), a charmingly stubborn Holocaust survivor, on a journey to his homeland. In other film news, Hulu has cast pansexual actress Julia Lester, transgender actress Zión Moreno, and non-binary actor Terry Hu in the upcoming flick Prom Dates. The teen comedy follows best friends who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Lester will play Hannah, an anxious closeted lesbian who navigates her new queerness while her best friendship unravels; Moreno will play Heather, a college party girl who grabs life by the horns; and Hu will play Angie, a butch lesbian with rockstar energy.
5.) Vertical has claimed North American, UK, and Ireland rights to The Listener, an indie drama produced by and starring out actress Tessa Thompson. The film tells the story of Beth (Thompson), a home helpline worker who fields calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, and hopeless. Actors voicing those on the other line include out stars Margaret Cho, Alia Shawkat and Blue Del Barrio. The film is currently slated for a day-and-date release on March 29! Additionally, Bankside Films has picked up international sales rights to Ethel, featuring out Emmy and Golden Globe winner Sarah Paulson. Based on a true story, the film centers on pioneering conductor Ethel Stark (Shira Haas) who led the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra. Paulson plays Madge Bowen, a corseted socialite who desires more than tea parties and country clubs.
EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has claimed North American, UK, and Ireland rights to ‘The Listener,’ an indie drama directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson that world premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival https://t.co/3abqy5qUG5
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 12, 2024
6.) Trans director, writer, and producer Lilly Wachowski has set her first solo directorial feature Trash Mountain, starring and co-written by gay rising comedian and actor Caleb Hearon. The queer comedy-drama follows a young gay man living in Chicago who returns to his hometown in Missouri following the death of his hoarder father. White Lotus breakout Leo Woodall has also been set to lead upcoming Apple TV+ thriller Prime Target opposite non-binary actor Quintessa Swindell. The series follows Edward Brook (Woodall), a young mathematician who discovers the secret to prime numbers. When an unseen enemy tries to destroy his idea, Brook teams up with Taylah Sanders (Swindell), an NSA agent tasked with watching and reporting on his behavior, to piece together the troubling conspiracy.
Lilly Wachowski is bound to direct “Trash Mountain,” a queer comedy-drama starring rising comedian and actor Caleb Hearon. The film follows a young gay man living in Chicago who returns to his hometown in Missouri following the death of his hoarder father. https://t.co/MLZZN4cUdq
— Variety (@Variety) February 12, 2024
7.) Netflix dropped the official trailer for award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby’s extraordinary global comedy special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda. Curated by Gadsby, the show brings together the world’s absolute funniest genderqueer comedians, including ALOK, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Ashley Ward, Jes Tom, Mx. Dahlia Belle, and Krishna Istha. Watch the special March 5 and check out the trailer below! Additionally, the streamer renewed Survival of the Thickest for a second season. The series centers on Black, plus-size and newly single Mavis Beaumont, who is determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family and a positive attitude. In the new season, out characters Marley, Peppermint, Bruce and Trent are all set to return!
8.) In more Netflix news, the trailer for the third season of Girls5eva has arrived! The musical comedy follows one-hit-wonder girl group Girls5eva, which includes lesbian dentist Gloria, played by out actress Paula Pell. Two decades later, the members reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot. In the upcoming season, the girls hit the road on a comeback tour for their new album Returnity. Watch all six new episodes on the streamer March 14, alongside both previously released seasons. The fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy also premieres on Netflix August 8! The series revolves around a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who reunite to solve the mystery of their father’s death and the threat of an imminent apocalypse. The final season continues to feature trans star Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves, one of the siblings who can convert sound waves into physical force.
9.) On the heels of its season three premiere, hit comedy series Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a fourth season by ABC. The series celebrates our school system’s unsung heroes and public servants, focusing on a group of dedicated Philadelphia educators that includes the beloved awkward gay history teacher Jacob Hill. Watch new episodes Wednesdays on ABC or stream the following day on Hulu! In more ABC news, the upcoming season of Grey’s Anatomy is set to re-introduce trailblazing lesbian character Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) and gay character Dr. Nico Kim (Alex Landi). Queer actress Natalie Morales also guest stars as Monica Beltran, a pediatric surgeon whose pragmatism and level-headedness have made her one of the best in the field. Stay tuned for additional casting announcements and watch the season twenty premiere March 14 on ABC or the following day on Hulu!
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Announces Season 20 Guest Stars, With Jessica Capshaw Returning as Arizona https://t.co/FLWjIpgvHC
— Variety (@Variety) February 10, 2024
10.) On Valentine’s Day, queer Vancouver-based rising pop artist Xana shared a new single “Better Kind of Best Friend,” an ode to queer empowerment off her upcoming sophomore album The Sex Was Good Until It Wasn’t, due out May 10; watch the official music video! Queer NYC rapper Dai Burger’s Dai Dreamin EP also dropped on her birthday this week. Watch the music video to the title track below! Additionally, non-binary singer-songwriter Candi Carpenter announced their anticipated new album Demonology, out March 29, alongside the single “Tooth.”
11.) The official visualizer for gay stars Billy Porter and Luke Evan’s song “Always Be My Man,” from the film Our Son, is out now. Check out the video below and watch Our Son on on demand today! Queer country singer-songwriter Brooke Eden released an electrifying remix “Outlaw Love (Dave Audé Remix)” and trans star Kim Petras debuted a new EP Slut Pop Miami; check out the “Slut Pop Reprise” lyric video! Finally, gay and non-binary singer-songwriter VINCINT shared the new single “Good II Me.”
12.) Lesbian multi-hyphenate Kate McKinnon has announced her debut novel “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science,” out October 1! The first installment of a series for middle school readers ages eight to twelve, the book follows the Porch sisters’ adventures at a new school as they attempt to save their town from an evil cabal of nefarious mad scientists and learn to embrace what makes them stand out.
Kate McKinnon is writing a debut novel aimed at young-adult readers.
“The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” is envisioned as the first book in a series aimed at readers between the ages of 8 and 12. https://t.co/KVDlQ4pOOm
— Variety (@Variety) February 12, 2024
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