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.) Married power duo Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne make their feature directorial debut in the new comedy-drama Am I Okay?. With a script by queer writer Lauren Pomerantz, the pic centers on a journey of self-discovery and the ever-changing dynamics of friendship. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Lucy realizes that she’s a lesbian and Jane announces that she’s moving to London, their friendship is put to the test. The all-star LGBTQ cast includes Kiersey Clemons, Sean Hayes, Notaro, and more. Check out the trailer below and stream Am I Okay? on Max today!
2.) Peacock’s Queer Planet invites viewers on a journey to explore the rich diversity of sexuality and gender found in nature — from flamingos to primates, clownfish, mushrooms and everything in between. Narrated by gay actor Andrew Rannells, the vivid, funny, and eye-opening documentary not only looks at extraordinary creatures, but also introduces animal behaviorists who challenge ideas of what is scientifically “natural” and questions the rigid binaries often inaccurately associated with sex and gender. Find the trailer below and watch Queer Planet now! In other queer animal news, Elliot Page has been set to narrate and executive produce Second Nature, a doc that debunks harmful myths about sexuality and gender. Check out the teaser trailer now!
3.) Let the Canary Sing is streaming exclusively on Paramount+! Directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood, the pic chronicles Cyndi Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, and unwavering advocacy, including her tireless fight for LGBTQ rights. The film prominently features Lauper’s lesbian sister Ellen and highlights Lauper’s allyship with the LGBTQ community throughout her life, including her song “True Colors,” which was written after a friend passed away during the AIDS epidemic, as well as her establishment of the True Colors Fund, a non-profit dedicated to helping eradicate LGBTQ youth homelessness. To learn more about the pioneering artist, watch Let the Canary Sing today!
4.) Kate McKinnon has boarded Jay Roach’s The Roses, joining previously announced out actor Ncuti Gatwa. A reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses, the film tells the story of Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), a picture-perfect couple whose façade breaks as Theo’s professional dreams come crashing down. In other film news, Lionsgate UK has acquired gay actor Ian McKellen’s thriller The Critic. Set in 1930s London, the pic tells the thrilling tale of theatre critic Jimmy Erskine (Mckellen), who finds himself suddenly in the cross hairs of the Daily Chronicle’s new owner and strikes a pact with a struggling actress. Stay tuned for distribution information on these projects!
Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg have joined the cast of “The Roses,” starring Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Learn more about the project: https://t.co/XHJm22YHSA pic.twitter.com/sA10aM8MNh
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) June 4, 2024
5.) Alan Cumming has unveiled the cast of The Traitors season three, which is currently filming in Scotland! The Emmy-winning reality competition series is set in a remote castle where Cumming hosts 21 larger-than-life personalities who compete in a series of missions to earn a cash prize of up to $250,000. The “most treacherous season yet” features LGBTQ contestants Chrishell Stause, Bob the Drag Queen, Gabby Windey, Bob Harper, and Lord Ivar Moutbatten! Watch the cast reveal below and stream the first two seasons on Peacock today.
6.) Bisexual Hacks star Hannah Einbinder takes center stage in her first stand-up special Everything Must Go! Max has revealed the official trailer for the show, which covers everything from Einbinder’s birth to climate change to her competitive cheerleading days. Watch the trailer below and stream Everything Must Go June 13!
7.) Netflix has revealed first-look images of Emily in Paris season four, including a sneak peek of returning gay character Julien (Samuel Arnold). In more TV news, trans writer and actor Abigail Thorn has been cast in the highly-anticipated second season of House of the Dragon! Thorn will play the new role of Sharako Lohar, commander of the Triarchy. Catch Thorn in the new season alongside nonbinary actor Emma D’Arcy on June 16!
View this post on Instagram
8.) Queer recording artist Cassie Taylor has debuted a new song and video for “DEADNAME (Find You),” an uptempo western disco ballad that follows the story of a trans man on a journey towards self-love. Through partnerships with Point of Pride and trans artists Cuee and Dante Foley, all proceeds from streams and social media shares will directly benefit the trans and nonbinary communities. Watch the music video below. Additionally, Los Angeles’ out pop experimentalist Angélica Garcia’s anticipated new album Gemelo, sung entirely in Spanish, has been released!
9.) Brooklyn-based powerhouse trio MONTE, formed by queer singer and lead guitarist Caitlin Montclare, have shared a new single “Control.” Watch the official music video below, which was directed by Montclare! In more music news, queer emerging alternative rock artist Vienna Vienna has debuted the new single “Fuck Me” and queer Australian singer-songwriter St. South has announced her upcoming EP BIG SADS, out September 20, alongside a lyric video for the title track “Big Sads.” Finally, out artist Logan Lynn has unveiled his new LP SOFTCORE with a music video to the title track and queer Iraqi-Syrian troubadour Wafia has shared the new single and visualizer “House Down!”
10.) Andrew L. Erdman’s latest biography “Beautiful: The Story of Julian Eltinge, America’s Greatest Female Impersonator,” centering on the first wave of drag and the political backlash that followed, is available now! While the name Julian Eltinge may not register to the modern era, he was a household name in the 1910s—a time when female impersonation was a hugely popular performance genre. Eltinge’s success with mainstream audiences, ever avoiding suspicions and scandal, says much about the emergent middle-class white heteronormativity of the era and what we have come to think of as the social construction of gender. Order your copy today!
View this post on Instagram
See more articles from The GLAAD Wrap here.