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 lineup has been announced for the 17th annual Outfest Fusion Film Festival, which celebrates work by queer people of color. Some of the highlights of the lineup include El Prinicipe directed by Sebastián Muñoz, Driveways, directed by Andrew Ahn, and a sneak preview of the upcoming series Twenties, written and produced by Lena Waithe. The festival will run March 6-10 in Los Angeles; click here for the full lineup.
2) Out actor Matt Bomer has been cast along Ruth Wilson in The Book of Ruth, a drama about AIDS activism in the ‘80s. Wilson stars as Ruth Coker Burks whose new neighbor, played by Bomer, is a gay New Yorker whose partner died of AIDS. The film will be directed by out filmmaker and actor Michael Arden. A biopic is in the works about out Olympian Greg Louganis. Louganis, in addition to being a gold medal-winning diver, chronicled his life as a gay man living with HIV in his bestselling memoir Breaking the Service. The film will detail his career in the Olympics as well as his activism for LGBTQ athletes.
3) A movie musical adaptation of the graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker is underway with Frozen’s EGOT winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez writing the music. The book tells a story of a prince who spends his night secretly donning dresses and going out on the town as Lady Crystallia, and his relationship with the girl who makes his dresses. Out bi actor and writer Abbi Jacobson has been cast in upcoming animated comedy The Mitchells Vs The Machines, which follows a family whose road trip is interrupted by robots trying to take over. Out actor Brian J. Smith is the latest to join the cast of the Lana Wachowski helmed Matrix 4. Smith also starred in Sense8 for Wachowski.
Very excited about this! https://t.co/12eXdBKAFg
— Abbi Jacobson (@abbijacobson) February 19, 2020
4) A trailer has been released for Feel Good, a new Netflix comedy starring and created by out comedian Mae Martin. The show follows a version of Martin as she falls in love with another woman, while working through her comedy, addiction, and more. The show will be on Netflix March 19. In more TV News, out actress Roberta Colindrez has been cast in the upcoming Amazon series A League of Their Own, based on the 1992 movie of the same name. The show is written and executive produced by Abbi Jacobson.
5) In more casting news, non-binary actor and Trinkets star Quintessa Swindell has been cast in an ABC comedy pilot as Lennon Cochrane, a teen in New York City, who discovers a family secret. A trailer has also been released for upcoming sci-fi coming-of-age series I Am Not Okay with This. The show stars It’s Sophia Lillis as Sydney whose anger with the world comes to fruition in the form of mysterious powers. The trailer also shows glimpses of Sydney’s feelings for her best friend Dina. The show will be released on Netflix February 26
6) A teaser has been released for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming limited series Halston following the legendary gay designer of the same name; the titular character will be played by Ewan MacGregor. Watch the teaser below. Another upcoming Murphy miniseries with Netflix is Hollywood, a story of post-WWII Hollywood, and those trying to make it while overcoming barriers of race, gender, and sexuality. It will be released May 1 on Netflix.
7) The premiere of the third season of GLAAD Media Award-winning comedy Vida has been announced, along with a teaser. The season will premiere on April 26; check it out, below. Long-running and groundbreaking show Steven Universe just announced that its final 10 episodes will be released in March on Cartoon Network. The show has done wonders for LGBTQ representation in kids and family programming and won the GLAAD Media Award for it last year.
8) A premiere date and new network have been announced for the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars. The season will premiere on June 5, for the first time moving on over to Showtime. A season premiere date has been announced for the third season of the GLAAD Media Award-nominee Killing Eve. It will premiere on April 26 on BBC America and AMC. (the same date as the aforementioned Vida) We’re Here, the upcoming reality series from HBO, has a new teaser and a release date. The show follows drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka as they makeover residents of small towns to put on local drag shows. Watch the teaser below. The show premieres on April 23.
9) Out bounce artist Big Freedia released a music video for her new single “Chasing Rainbows,” on Thursday. Freedia’s frequent collaborator, out pop singer Kesha, is also featured on the track. Watch the video below. Out singer VINCINT released his debut EP The Feeling last Friday. Listen to the six-track album here.
10) Brockhampton, the hip-hop group lead by out member Kevin Abstract released a second version of a music video for their song “Sugar.” Watch the video, directed by Abstract, below. Out rapper CHIKA released a new song this week, “Industry Games.” Listen to the single here.
11) Audio drama Null and Void is currently funding. The show is a Black, Queer, science fiction story that follows Piper Lee, who is rescued by a mysterious voice and must save her small town from ruthless billionaires. The podcast is created by queer writer Cole Burkhardt. Click here to learn more and contribute to the project.