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) A trailer has been released for satire horror film Assassination Nation. The movie follows a group of teenage girls in the town of Salem, and the chaos and violence that arises when everyone’s private lives are posted online. One of the main four characters is Bex, a transgender teen girl played by out trans actress Hari Nef. The film premiered at Sundance this week, and has been acquired by distributors Neon and AGBO for over $10 million, in what is one of the biggest deals of the festival. Watch the trailer below!
2) Studio Gunpowder & Sky has bought the rights for Sundance closing film Hearts Beat Loud, which tells the heartwarming story of a father (Nick Offerman) and daughter (Kiersey Clemons) who begin writing music together the summer before she leaves for college. The film also focuses on the romantic relationship between the daughter and another girl, Rose (Sasha Lane.) Check out GLAAD’s interview with stars Clemons and Lane below!
3) A new featurette has been released for upcoming film Every Day, based on the book by out gay author David Leviathan. Every Day is a love story between a sixteen-year-old girl and “A,” someone who wakes up in a different body every day. A is portrayed by many actors, including Ian Alexander, the out trans star of The OA. Over the course of the film, A takes the form of men and women, showing that love can stretch beyond gender. The film, directed by out gay filmmaker Michael Sucsy, will be released into theaters on February 23rd.
4) The Producer’s Guild of America Awards were held last weekend. GLAAD Media Award-nominees The Shape of Water, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Voice all took home awards for Outstanding Producer of a Theatrical Motion Picture, Episodic Television - Drama, and Competition Television, respectively. The Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television was presented to out Glee, Pose, and American Crime Story producer Ryan Murphy, who spoke of telling stories about LGBTQ characters in his speech. The SAG Awards also took place over the weekend, with LGBTQ-inclusive series Veep and This is Us taking home awards for Best Ensemble in a Comedy and Drama, respectively.
5) A first look at the second season of Famous in Love was released on Wednesday. The freeform drama stars out bisexual actress Bella Thorne as Paige, who is suddenly in the throes of Hollywood fame after one life changing audition. The ensemble of show includes bisexual character Alexis, who continues to be a key player in season two. The second season of Famous in Love airs on April 4th; watch the trailer below!
6) Netflix has announced that it will be releasing a series of 15-minute stand up specials from on the rise comedians. The specials will be filmed this February in Atlanta, and feature sixteen comedians. Several LGBTQ comedians are in this line-up, including out gay comedians Tim Dillon and Matteo Lane, and out lesbian comics Sam Jay, Sabrina Jalees, and Emma Willmann. The specials are as now untiled, but expect to see more news as they roll out later in the year!
7) Out bisexual pop icon Lady Gaga has released a music video for her “Joanne” off of the album of the same name. The video features a new piano version of the song and is dedicated to the late Joanne, Lady Gaga’s aunt. Joanne is available to download and stream, and catch Lady Gaga performing at the Grammys on Sunday, where she is a nominee!
8) Singer/songwriter Matt Palmer just announced that he will be releasing a visual EP Get Lost. Each week, the out gay musician will release a new music video and together the songs and videos will tell a story of a relationship between two men from start to finish. The first music video and song, “Solo Act,” was released on Friday, which starts the story of Get Lost. Stream “Solo Act” now and pre-order the album here, and check out the music video below.
9) Holland, the first out gay K-pop star, has released “Neverland,” his music video debut. The video shows a relationship between Holland and another man and features a kiss between the two, content which is almost unseen in Korean pop music. The video has racked up millions of views in the few days it has been out, as well as an outpouring of fan support for Holland. “Neverland” is available to stream and download and the video is below!
10) A new video has been released previewing the Ryan Murphy directed Boys in the Band Broadway revival. Fifty years since the original play about a group of gay men in Manhattan premiered, the cast and crew reflect upon the progress made and how it is still important to depict these characters. The show stars several out gay men including Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, and Jim Parsons. It will run on Broadway from April 30th to August 12th.
11) In other exciting Broadway news, out playwright and Academy Award-winning Moonlight writer Tarell Alvin McCraney will officially make his Broadway debut with his play Choir Boy. The play, which received rave reviews when it ran Off-Broadway in 2013, is about the young singers at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, and institution dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. Choir Boy opens on December 22nd of this year.
12) Out filmmaker Nick Neon is currently crowdfunding for the sequel to his 2016 short Ultra Bleu. The second short, Zero One¸ follows protagonist Jimmy Park as he returns home to his dysfunctional family for the first time in four years. The goals of the film are to raise queer voices and Asian Visibility, both of which are severely lacking. To find out more about the film, and how to help them reach their goal, click here.
