By Romeo San Vicente
‘BROS’ Will Be (All Queer) Bros
After two years of development, the long-awaited Judd Apatow-produced rom-com starring and co-written by Billy Eichner finally has a title and a preliminary cast. It’s going to be called “BROS,” and its leads, Eichner and Luke Macfarlane (“Brothers & Sisters”), will play two gay men who want to have a relationship but, you know, comedy complications keep getting in the way. It will be the first queer-themed romantic comedy from a major studio since “Love, Simon,” and if that surprises you then you must be new around here. But here’s what’s truly surprising: an all-queer main cast. For starters, supporting players include Guillermo Diaz (“Scandal”), Symone from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Ts Madison (“Zola”), comedian Guy Branum (“Q-Force”) and Miss Lawrence (“Star”). But that’s not all, you see, because it turns out that queer actors reportedly will play all the roles, even the straight characters. And why not? Rock Hudson did it in every movie. “BROS” is scheduled to hit theaters in August of 2022, and now we have extremely high and extremely queer expectations. Like, we want entire dialogue sequences to mystify straight people. It’s not too much to ask.
Netflix romances Dan Levy
Dan Levy’s multiple-Emmy-winning Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” gained a lot of its cultural traction in the United States after Netflix picked it up from Pop TV. It was there where it enjoyed a second wave of popularity and still streams for new audiences to get hooked on. And because Netflix seemingly owns everything now, they’ve also closed a new deal with Levy for an untitled feature film. He’ll direct, write, produce and star in the original romantic comedy, one that we assume will involve a racy-yet-also-wholesome-yet-also-very-horny same-sex plotline and a much needed dose of very queer other situations across the board. And yes, we know what happens when assumptions are made, but we’re going to do it anyway because at this point in the development process, speculation is all anyone has. Whatever Levy comes up with, it’ll be a quick yes from us.
Theo Germaine to star in Blumhouse conversion therapy horror film
Non-binary actor Theo Germaine, currently best known for Ryan Murphy’s “The Politician” and Showtime’s “Work in Progress,” is one of young queer Hollywood’s rising stars. And their next project is a horror movie for fright factory Blumhouse, one with a very specific killer: ex-gay conversion therapy. Currently untitled (though formerly known as “Whistler Camp”), the film will be gay screenwriter John Logan’s (“Gladiator,” “Skyfall”) directorial debut, and will be set in an ex-gay conversion therapy camp. There aren’t any plot details yet, and no other casting news, but this is a perfectly horrific setting. We think it would be a very good idea if the camp’s teen prisoners mobilized into an army of “Friday the 13th”-style Jasons, turning the tables on their tormentors with slashery, splattery results. We never said we were interested in turning the other cheek.
Meet ‘Everybody’s Talking about Jamie’ star Max Harwood
If you’re wondering who the young actor commanding the screen in Amazon Prime’s teen drag musical “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” is, you’re not alone. It’s the screen debut of 24-year-old British actor Max Harwood. As a 16-year-old aspiring drag queen with a big dream and bigger musical numbers, Harwood takes his place among a new crop of young queer breakout performers and, thanks to the high profile of “Jamie,” he’s got two new projects in the pipeline. Coming first is 2022’s “The Loneliest Boy in the World,” co-starring Evan Ross (“The Hunger Games”), a satirical horror-comedy about zombies taking over everything (hence that loneliness). That one’s already finished shooting. Meanwhile, Harwood is working on “Magpie,” starring Tuppence Middleton (“Downton Abbey”). It concerns a religious community, a murder, and what might be a monster in the nearby forest. Look, sometimes the universe offers you zombies and murders; they can’t all be glittery musicals.
Romeo San Vicente is a one-man cure for loneliness.
