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) HBO has released the trailer for documentary Welcome To Chechnya, from out director David France. The film follows a group of activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ persecution in the repressive and closed Russian republic of Chechnya, working undercover to rescue victims and give them safe houses and ways to escape. It will be released on HBO and available on HBO Max on June 30; watch the trailer below.
2) HBO Max has announced that it will be making a film adaptation of Lev Rosen’s novel Camp, which follows Randy, who plans to re-invent himself and begin acting more stereotypically masculine in an effort to attract his crush Hudson, but things become more complicated than he anticipated and he begins to question just how much he is willing to change himself for love. The film will be writen by out writer, actor, and director Kit Williamson (EastSiders), the novel was released this week. Picturestart has picked up comedy film Monster from out screenwriter Charles Rogers, and his Search Party co-creator Sarah-Violet Bliss, which follows a woman who is a personal assistant for a boss who might be a real monster.
You know how people do the thing where they tease good news but don’t tell you what it is for months or years later? I don’t do that. Here’s some news: https://t.co/QzfrQcqvb2
— Lev AC Rosen aka L.C. Rosen (@LevACRosen) May 18, 2020
3) Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to the documentary Disclosure which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The documentary, directed by Sam Feder and executive produced by Laverne Cox, examines 100 years of transgender representation in television and film while showing how these images have impacted how Americans understand issues transgender people face and the ways media has taught trans people to feel about themselves. The documentary team also prioritized including the trans community in front of and behind the camera, hiring and mentoring trans creatives at all levels of production. GLAAD’s Alex Schmider is an associate producer on Disclosure, and our Director of Transgender Representation Nick Adams is a consulting producer and also featured in the documentary. Disclosure will be out on Netflix June 19.
4) The trailer for Hulu’s upcoming Love, Victor has been released. The show, a spinoff of GLAAD Media Award-winning film Love, Simon, follows teenager Victor, who writes to Simon while figuring out his own identity and dealing with his crush on a boy. The show will premiere on Hulu on June 19; watch the trailer below. Amazon announced a new series based on Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which follows bisexual hacker Lisbeth Salander. The new series would place the character in a new setting than that of the books and previous film adaptations.
5) FX announced several new series coming to the network next season, which include American Horror Stories, the anothology spinoff of American Horror Story; Y: The Last Man, whose cast includes Elliot Fletcher; and Pride, a docuseries about the fight for LGBTQ civil rights. FX also renewed vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, which features several queer characters. Mystery comedy Search Party, which will premiere its third season on HBO Max, has released a new trailer for the whole series, which includes a first glimpse at its third season. The shows stars include out actors Alia Shawkat and John Early, the latter playing gay character Elliot. The third season premieres on June 25.
6) The trailer for the second season of Netflix’s Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts was released on Thursday. The show follows Kipo and her friends, including gay character Benson, fighting mutants on the surface of her world. The second season will be released on Netflix on June 12. Netflix has announced that the second season of The Umbrella Academy, which features gay character Klaus and stars out actress Ellen Page, will be returning on June 31. Another queer-inclusive Netflix series, The Politician, will debut its second season on June 19.
7) ViacomCBS has announced a handful of remotely produced series on their various brands for Pride. The series include Served! With Jade Thrilwall, where the pop star interviews drag queens and celebrities; drag queen online talk show Dragony Aunts; BET Pride Home Series, interviewing influential members of the LGBTQ community from home; and more. Check out the lineup here. Netflix has announced its renewal of Elite, whose third season was released earlier this year. The show features several queer characters in its ensemble. Netflix has also renewed freshman comedy Gentefied for a second season, which follows a Latinx family in Boyle Heights, including queer character Ana and her girlfriend.
8) ABC has announced its renewals for the next season of television, which include new series Stumptown, with its bisexual lead, as well as other inclusive series, American Housewife, A Million Little Things, The Conners, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19 and The Rookie. Freeform has renewed freshmen series Everything’s Gonna Be Okay and Motherland: Fort Salem for second seasons, both of which feature queer characters in leading roles. NBC’s Good Girls, which features trans character Ben, has also been renewed for a fourth season.
9) Folk-duo Indigo Girls, made up of out singers Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, released their most recent album Look Long last Friday. In addition to the album, a documentary following the music and impact of the duo has been announced, compiling over 30 years of footage. The film is directed by Alexandria Bombach and produced by Multitude Films. Out singer Rufus Wainwright also announced a small documentary following the making of his new album Unfollow the Rules, which will be out June 10. Pre-order the album here and watch the documentary Rufus Wainwright: Unmaking Unfollow the Rules here.
10) Bi pop star Lady Gaga released her long-anticipated sixth album Chromatica today. Over the last week she has released singles “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande and “Sour Candy” with Blackpink. Listen to the album here. Out bi singer and actor Keiynan Lonsdale released his debut album Rainbow Boy today. Download and stream the album here. Out artist Perfume Genius has released his newest album Set My Heart on Fire Immediately earlier this month. Listen to it here.
11) Queer artist Moses Sumney also released an album, grae, on May 15. The album is available here. Out gay actor and signer Tituss Burgess release a new dance track “Dance M.F.” last week. Listen to the song here. Queer country singer Orville Peck announced his newest EP Show Pony will be released on June 12. Pre-order the album here, and watch his new video “No Glory in the West” below.
12) Last week, the nominations for the 47th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced. They include a historic nomination for Scott Turner Schofield, a trans man nominated for his work on Studio City. Other LGBTQ and inclusive nominees include The Bold and The Beautiful, Days of our Lives, EastSiders, Light as a Feather, Trinkets, Arthur, The Loud House, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, GMA3 Strahan, Sara & Keke, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and talent Sara Ramirez, Willam Belli and Keke Palmer. The Daytime Emmys will have a live virtual ceremony on June 26. See the full list of nominees here.
I’m thrilled and humbled to be nominated for the @DaytimeEmmys, as a Guest Star in @studiocity_show on #AmazonPrime. Thank you to @seankanan and the team—who scored 8 nominations altogether!—for conscientiously making an authentic #transgender storyline from the heart. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/9hMWhESp5w
— ScottTurnerSchofield (@turnerschofield) May 22, 2020
13) Out writer James Tynion IV’s new miniseries Wynd has announced that it will release its first issue on June 17. The series follows the titular Wynd, who is on the run to keep his magical identity hidden with the boy of his dreams, his best friend Oakley, and a literal prince. New footage has been released from the highly anticipated game The Last of Us Part II. The post-apocalyptic game follows queer character Ellie, who seeks retribution after violent events unsettle her newfound community. The game will be released on June 19; watch the footage below.
14) Class6, a comic series about a team of LGBTQ superheroes, is currently funding to print the first six issues. With heroes who represent a multitude of identities in the LGBTQ community, the Class6 team has a mission to defend vulnerable queer people from hatred accross the world, but soon discover they have a mission to save all of humanity as well. Click here to learn more and to contribute.