It has been a busy first quarter with announcements dropping left and right. While this is quite conceivable in the popular BL genre, the Western media is quickly adapting to queer culture. As such, we have a surprising number of LGBTQ productions lined up for release this year and the next. The hoopla isn’t enough, so we are here to make some noise. Join us, as we talk about some of the most exciting projects that are set to premiere in 2023/2024.
Mary & George
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsT1h7xKYHx/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
If you are constantly scurrying through Nicholas Galitzine’s Instagram account (like I have been doing since Red, White, & Royal Blue released their official poster), then you would have definitely noticed his recent posts about this regal miniseries. Focusing on one of the juiciest gay scandals in the history of British monarchy, Mary & George stars veteran actress Julianne Moore and Nicholas as the mother-son pair, Mary & George Villiers. This is the second time that Nicholas is portraying a gay character (he plays Prince Henry in the upcoming adaptation, RWRB). As surmised by the storyline from the official sources, the scheming Countess of Buckingham, Mary, will use her gay son to seduce King James (Tony Curran), helping him to earn the title 1st Duke of Buckingham. The pairing is refreshing and we are dying to watch Moore and Nicholas plot their way to the top!
About Mary & George:
Mary & George is inspired by the unbelievable true story of Mary Villiers, who moulded her beautiful and charismatic son, George, to seduce King James VI of Scotland and I of England and become his all-powerful lover. Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors. And with England’s place on the world stage under threat from a Spanish invasion and rioters taking to the streets to denounce the King, the stakes could not have been higher.
Prepared to stop at nothing and armed with her ruthless political steel, Mary married her way up the ranks, bribed politicians, colluded with criminals and clawed her way into the heart of the Establishment, making it her own.
Mary & George is a dangerously daring historical psychodrama about an outrageous mother and son who schemed, seduced, and killed to conquer the court of England and the bed of King James.
Alongside Moore, Galitzine and Tony Curran, the show has an ensemble cast which comprises Nicola Walker, Niamh Algar, Trine Dyrholm, Sean Gilder, Adrian Rawlins, Mark O’Halloran, Laurie Davidson, Samuel Blenkin, Jacob McCarthy, Tom Victor, Alice Grant, Amelia Gething, Mirren Mack, Rina Mahoney and Simon Russell Beale.
Oliver Hermanus (Living, Moffie) will be helming the series as lead director alongside second and third block directors Alex Winckler (Somewhere Boy, This Way Up) and Florian Cossen (Deutschland 86, The Empress). Inspired by the non-fiction book “The King’s Assassin” by Benjamin Woolley, the series is written by acclaimed playwright DC Moore (Killing Eve, Temple).
The show will have seven episodes & will air on Sky Atlantic in the UK, Ireland, DACH and Italy. AMC Networks holds exclusive distribution in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India.
Source– Sky Group
A Nice Indian Boy
A delightful, contemporary tale on Indian marriage from the 21st century, A Nice Indian Boy is a modern take on the conservative Indian parents and their orthodox mindsets. Directed by Roshan Sethi based on a script written by Eric Randall, the movie stars Deadpool star Karan Soni and Mindhunter star Jonathan Groff, in the lead roles of Naveen Gavaskar and Jay. The film will begin filming on May 29, 2023, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and will officially wrap up on June 23, 2023.
Synopsis-
The protagonist, Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni) is aware of his parents’ expectations of him and his sister. They want them to profoundly respect their Hindu background, uphold all Hindu traditions, and, most significantly, exult in strictly Hindu marital ceremonies. This proves to be much more difficult for Naveen, who is openly gay in a culture where being gay can be tough. His parents want him to have a traditional Hindi wedding, but he worries he will never live up to their expectations. Naveen meets a white male, Jay (Jonathan Groff), whom he is attracted to and begins a relationship with. Despite his fear of introducing Jay to his parents, Naveen ultimately expresses his love for him and proposes in a dramatic fashion. The story is about changing traditional norms, having acceptance of who you are, and pursuing a life of happiness.
Source– Midgard Times
The Murderous Miss Highsmith
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxGDLMPDWi/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Starring Shailene Woodley in the lead role of Patricia Highsmith, The Murderous Miss Highsmith is a re-imagination of the early life and career of the popular author just before she wrote her famous novel, “The Talented Mr Ripley” (which is based on her love affair with two women). Highsmith is quite famous for her psychological thriller novels such as the Ripley novels, a five-book series, “Strangers On A Train”, and “The Price Of Salt”. The movie aims to get inside the mind of the author and reveal her fascination for gruesome murders, exploring how her tumultuous love life influenced her persona. Cara Delevingne will be playing one of her love interests, facing off against Noemie Merlant. Directed by Alexandra Pechman, filming will take place in Italy this fall.
Dubbed “the poet of apprehension”, Highsmith’s novels often questioned morality and identity, her personal life becoming the subject of many column issues which depicted her lesbian affairs & literary success.
Source– Deadline
Nimona
Though notorious for scrapping stories portraying queer love, Netflix has come out in the support of the animated fantasy film, Nimona. Based on the graphic novel by ND Stevenson who is also the creator of ‘She-Ra and the Princess of Power’, the animated movie tells the story of Nimona (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz), a shape-shifting girl who was hired to be the sidekick for a reluctant supervillain named Ballister Blackheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight framed for a crime he didn’t commit. The adaptation has been in the works since 2015, when it was being produced by Blue Sky Studios, the subsidiary of 20th Century Fox Animation. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 and inherited Blue Sky Studios in the process. The project was effectively canceled when Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios in 2021. Netflix later partnered with Annapurna Pictures when production began early last year. Nimona is quite popular for its queer-coded and gender-non-conforming characters. It also has a same-sex kiss scene, according to former Blue Sky Studios staffers, which might have been the reason for Disney scrapping the project. The movie is set to premiere on 30th June, 2023.
Synopsis-
A Knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.
Official Trailer-
Source– Netflix, Mashable SE Asia
Relax
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A biopic based on the lives of the popular pop band, Frankie Goes To Hollywood is in works, and it will star It’s A Sin star Callum Scott Howells. The announcement comes on the heels of the band’s reunion at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Band members Holly Johnson, Brian Nash, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole and Peter Gill reunited after almost 36 years to play a small set at the opening ceremony. Howells will be playing the role of the band’s frontman, Holly Johnson. Titled Relax (named after their 1986 single), the film will be based on Johnson’s memoir, “A Bone in My Flute” which charts his Liverpool childhood right up to his HIV diagnosis in 1993. Directed by Bernard Rose (who helmed the original ‘Relax’ music video), Relax was banned by the BBC in 1984 even though it was hugely popular. The song is a celebration of queer love and widely understood to centre on queer sexual pleasure.
Commenting on the idea of how the biopic was developed, Rose said: “Combining the wit of the Beatles, the power of The Rolling Stones and the outrage of The Sex Pistols, Frankie Goes To Hollywood went from unemployed Liverpudlians to Kings of pop on the back of their epic banned record Relax. In 1984 they outsold Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Duran Duran. Their epic rise, bringing the then deeply underground S+M and LGBTQ club scene screaming into the limelight, is the energetic and moving story of underdogs that win one for the ages. I was very much a part of the hoopla, having directed the original ‘banned’ Relax video and I want to bring that innocent and daring world of 1984 back to life for a new audience today.”
As of now, no release date has been announced. The biopic will supposedly explore Relax’s genesis and impact.
Source– NME, Deadline, Attitude
The Mattachine Family
Based on a story written by director Andy Vallentine and his husband Danny, The Mattachine Family is clear-eyed dramedy about modern fatherhood, where a gay man grapples with wanting a child after having to return his foster son. Produced by Zach Braff, the film stars Nico Tortorella (Younger; Walking Dead: World Beyond), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Fuller House, Mamma Mia!), and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) in the lead roles. The movie is a modern-day queer representation that perfectly captures self-reflection on love, relationships, and family is rare. The film will have a self narrative tone as Thomas (Tortorella) explores his closest relationships, both familiar and forged, after the foster child enters and quickly leaves his life. Emily Hampshire is paired opposite Cloie Wyatt Taylor. The Mattachine Family premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on May 12 and will continue to stream on SIFF’s platform from May 22 to May 28, 2023.
Synopsis-
The Mattachine Family picks up at a critical moment in the life of our protagonist, Thomas (Tortorella). The child he and his husband, Oscar (Di Pace), fostered has been reunited with his birth mother and Oscar’s long-stagnant career as an actor has picked up and sent him to Michigan for months of filming. In the bewildering lurch of change and loss, Thomas embarks on a journey to figure out what he wants from life and what it means to be gay in 2021, when so many possibilities have opened up for people who grew up thinking that marriage and children were closed off to them.
Source– SIFF, The Mattachine Family Official Website
On the Go
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Elite star Omar Ayuso recently dropped the pictures and trailer for his upcoming Spanish film “On the Go”. The openly gay actor became hugely popular for his portrayal of Omar Shanaa, a closeted man belonging to a conservative family who struggles with keeping his sexual identity under wraps because of his family’s situation. Ayuso was a part of the thriller series from the first to fifth season and is all set to return for the seventh season, where he is being paired opposite a new love interest, played by actor Fernando Líndez.
In the upcoming film titled “On the Go”, Ayuso plays the main lead, Jonathan who deals with his abandonment issues by hooking up with random guys on Grindr. The pictures tease the same as we see Jonathan in a passionate embrace with an unknown man. The film follows Jonathan’s journey as he embarks on a road trip with his two friends. The film promises to be a debaucherous affair and is being described as “a delirious road movie, full of music, where a mysterious mermaid with a magic crown will set the course of the journey.”
The film also stars Julia de Castro, Chacha Huang, and Jordi Roig, and will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival where it will run from May 16 to 27, 2023. Details related to the film’s regional and international premiere are still unconfirmed.
Synopsis-
“To be or not to be a mother, that is the question. Milagros (37) stretches a carefree youth in her last years of fertility while Jonathan (24), seeks solace in Grindr in order to overcome abandonment issues. Friendship and driving ease the disorientation caused by the deceptive freedom of the early 21st century. A delirious Road Movie full of music, where a mysterious mermaid with a magic crown will set the course of the journey.”
Official Trailer-
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrdMD3xIs_X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Source- Queerty, Instinct Magazine
Brokeback Mountain
The stage version of the 2005 Oscar winning film, Brokeback Mountain, is currently playing at Sohoplace, London. Based on Annie Proulx’s short story, the new play has music written by Ashley Robinson and songs by Dan Gillespie Sells. Directed by Jonathan Butterell, Brokeback Mountain stars Mike Faist as Jack and Lucas Hedges as Ennis, who are making their West End stage debuts. The production sees Jonathan Butterell and Dan Gillespie Sells (The Feeling), creators of the hit musical and film Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, reuniting with Producer Nica Burns. This original music is composed by Dan Gillespie Sells, performed by singer, Eddi Reader, joined by her onstage Country and Western band: Sean Green (piano/Musical Director), Meelie Traill (upright bass), Greg Miller (harmonica) and BJ Cole (pedal steel guitar). The stage play will be running for a limited season until 12 August 2023.
Synopsis-
Wyoming 1963: a wild landscape where people live in extreme rural poverty in tight, insular and conservative communities. When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters of increasing depth.
Source- Sohoplace Official Website
Love Allways
Pride month is surely getting more interesting. On the heels of BBC’s ‘I Kissed A Boy’ and Netflix’s Ultimatum’ comes ‘Love Allways’, comes the announcement about Paramount’s latest dating show “Love Allways”. Featuring a pansexual bachelorette, Lexi Paloma, the show will have 10 episodes and will start airing on June 2. Challenging traditional gender norms and dating rules, Lexi will embark on a daring journey to find true love. The show wil drop three episodes on June 2, followed by weekly releases. It will be streaming on both Paramount+ and Awesomeness YouTube Channel.
Synopsis-
As Lexi narrows down her pool of contestants of all genders, some start falling for one another, causing a spiral of drama, betrayal, passion, and jealousy. Throughout the process, Lexi is assisted by two professional relationship gurus, Spicy Mari and Anthony Recenello, who also serve as mentors to their teams of potential suitors. Not only are the daters competing for a chance at love, but the relationship gurus are also going toe-to-toe to see whose protégé gets chosen.
The contestants vying for her attention are Sienna Scibird, Jasmine Cervantes, Kalysta Mallory, Camille Cupid, Rylin Utah, Jayme Aiden, Cyprien Boustiha, Marc Bateman, Tyler Hearing, Luis Diaz, Brian Batesy, Joshua Cureton, and Cameron James.
Source- Pride, Metro Weekly
Night Island
If you are a huge fan of Anne Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” universe (as I’m), then you will be definitely delighted with this latest development in the AMC camp. AMC released brand new key art for their upcoming six episodes short form digital series, Night Island. Island. Jonathan Ceniceroz, one of the writers on Interview With the Vampire, will be scripting the miniseries.
The immensely popular prequel in ended with main lead, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) accepting the fact that Rashid/Armand (Assad Zaman) is the “Love of his life”. If you have watched the movie, Armand’s ardent fascination with Louis was quite clear, yet hidden and subtle. The televised version although, has made it abundantly clear that they are in a relationship where Louis seems to be missing chunks of his memories with past lover, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid).
The show derives its name from a famous location in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and The Queen of the Damned, which is supposedly Armand’s personal haven, a place where you can buy anything and is a hotsppot for vampires. Armand is an intriguing character and Night Island will orchestrate his love for fine things in his centuries spanning lifetime. At 500 years, Armand is one of the oldest vampires in the coven, acting as their leader. He has been running Night Island for decades. According to the books, Armand would frequently kidnap his favorite human, Daniel Molloy (an avid reporter who wishes to chronicle Louis’s life story), and sequester him on the island for months at a time. Every time Molloy attempted to run away, he would eventually be returned to Night Island. There is no hint of any kind of romance between Armand & Molloy either in the movie or the televised version, so this will be interesting to watch!
The show follows a pair of burglars as they attempt to steal a painting rumored to be on the island, not knowing that the island is home to a coven of vampires. Night Island will most probably premiere in late 2023, across all AMC streaming platforms.
Glamorous
The first look is out for Netflix’s upcoming queer series “Glamorous”, and it stars Kim Cattrall (Sex And The City) as Madolyn Addison, CEO of Glamorous Cosmetics. Joining her on this glamorous journey (pun intended) is Marco Mejia (played by Ben J. Pierce/Miss Benny), a gender-nonconforming intern, who unceremoniously lands a job at her company. Madolyn has built one of the top cosmetic companies in the world from the ground up. However, something’s happening of late. The company isn’t just slipping, it’s plummeting, like it’s being sabotaged from the inside. Not about to let that happen, Madolyn hires Marco right out of high school to be her summer intern. She has a plan and wants him to be her eyes and ears, to make friends and find out what’s going on behind her back, to discover what they’re hiding and what they’re stealing. In exchange, she promises to teach Marco everything she knows, but she warns him-
“This business isn’t all glitter and glamour and neither is life.”
The show has an ensemble cast that includes Zane Phillips, Jade Payton, Michael Hsu, Ayesha Harris and Graham Parkhurst. Originally developed as a pilot for CW, the show was scrapped in 2019. Netflix managed to save the show from being shelved permanently and it is set to premiere 22th June. Glamorous will have 10 episodes, each with 45 minutes runtime.
Source- Gay Times, Cosmopolitan
Exclusive Updates-
☆ The official poster for the regal romance “Red, White & Royal Blue” is out, and it spells a spicy romance!
☆ The first look teasers for Heartstopper Season Two are out as well and we are obviously excited for the premiere!
Stay tuned for future updates!
The BL Xpress 