Jodie Comer—the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning actress perhaps best known for playing LGBTQ+ assassin Villanelle on BBC America's Killing Eve—will make her Broadway debut next spring in Prima Facie, a new play by Suzie Miller, Deadline noted. The play is currently in production on the West End, where it is in its final two weeks of a sold-out run. Produced by Empire Street Productions, Prima Facie will make its Broadway debut in spring 2023.
On June 3, Peacock and Outfest hosted the world-premiere event of the reimagined drama series Queer As Folk at The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA, a press release announced. Among the attendees were cast members Kim Cattrall, Juliette Lewis, Benito Skinner, Ed Begley Jr., Eric Graise, Armand Fields, Megan Stalter, Calvin Seabrooks, Chris Renfro, Olli Haaskivi, Sachin Bhatt, Ryan O'Connell, Brandon Gilpin and more. The event included an exclusive screening of episodes 101 and 102 followed by a Q+A with the creators and cast moderated by artist, filmmaker and cultural producer Zackary Drucker at the Ace Hotel in Downtown LA. Prior to the screening, Fields surprised the crowd with a celebratory live drag performance.
Also, Queer As Folk and Big Sky actor Jesse James Keitel will appear on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a guest-star role as a non-binary character, according to Variety. Keitel, a trans woman, will appear on the June 16 episode of the Paramount+ show as Dr. Aspen.
Transgender filmmaker Connor O'Keefe (he/him) has released an eight-minute short, Imagine My Body. In the film, transgender men reflect on their experiences taking testosterone. Using a poetic and spiritual approach to the subject matter, their insights provide a lens into the complexities of hormone replacement therapy not often acknowledged by trans portrayals in mass media. The film is part of the New York Documentary Series; visit https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-second-puberty-of-trans-men.
The finalists have been selected for the 2022 Tom of Finland Photo Competition and Charity Auction, celebrating one of the most influential artists of the 20th century during Pride Month, per a press release. Through June 20, each artist will have their work featured on the Tom of Finland Organic Vodka Instagram site: www.instagram.com/tomoffinlandvodka/ . On July 1, two winners will be chosen: a Jury Winner and an Audience Winner. The public votes for the Audience Winner by commenting on the social-media post featuring the photograph with the word VOTE and #YourTomIsShowing.
Actress Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts have launched a new fashion line offering clothes that celebrate love and queer Black pride, per Out Magazine. "Jessica and Niecy Betts see you. Really see you. They have created a limited-edition line of apparel and accessories that helps you tell your story, freely and unapologetically," according to the Betts of Both Worlds website. "If you're going to wear a label, wear one that speaks your truth." See thebettsofbothworlds.com .
Global artist Cardi B joined Whipshots, the vodka-infused whipped cream she launched with Starco Brands, for a celebration at the West Hollywood PRIDE parade per a press release. Joined by 12 Cardi B-inspired drag queens on a Whipshots float, Cardi led the procession down Santa Monica Boulevard in a rainbow-colored body suit, spraying her boozy whipped cream into the mouths of fans and PRIDE-goers along the way. Partiers had the opportunity to donate a minimum of $5 to the Transgender Law Center for a chance to spin the Whipster Wheel and have Cardi spray Whipshots on the corresponding body part.
The Harry Styles film My Policeman will be released in theaters on Oct. 21 and globally on Prime Video starting Nov. 4, a press release stated. My Policeman follows three young people—policeman Tom (Styles), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin) and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson)—as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain. Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee) and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but now they have one last chance to repair the damage of the past.
QFLIX—Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ film festival set to run June 19-26 at the Suzanne Roberts Theater—has been postponed due to issues involving the organization's nonprofit status, Philadelphia Gay News reported. QFLIX President James Duggan told the publication the organization is working with legal counsel as well as with the office of Rep. Dwight Evans to remedy the situation; he hopes the festival will be able to happen this year.
Dark Star Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome have teamed to release a special limited-edition Blu-ray of the Wes Hurley film Potato Dreams of America on Tuesday, June 21, per a press release. Written and directed by Hurley, Potato Dreams of America stars Lea DeLaria, Dan Lauria, Jonathan Bennett and more in a dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the collapsing USSR, his courageous mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to the United States. Special features include a director's commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes and outtakes, and more.
Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television debuted the first-look teaser for the highly anticipated series, A League of Their Own, and announced that the series will premiere all eight episodes exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, Aug. 12, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, a press release noted. A League of Their Own evokes the spirit of Penny Marshall's classic while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball. The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it.
Original Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter responded to U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert's (R-Colorado) claim that people should go to church instead of drag shows, according to LGBTQ Nation. Boebert was originally referring to a family-friendly drag show in Dallas that got a lot of attention because of the Christian conservative protestors who demonstrated in front of the bar and yelled at the patrons, the kids, and the drag queens. "Have you ever been to drag brunch?" Carter wrote. "They have bread and wine, loving community, and men in fabulous dresses. Sounds a little like church to me!"
Former Odd Future member Syd announced that she married her long-term girlfriend Ariana Simone, Out Magazine noted. Instagram user Elspeth Macmillan took a photo at Syd's recent show in Boston and captioned it with "BTW she announced she got married. SHE WIFED IT! Happy Pride, y'all." Apart from starring in several of Syd's music videos, like the one for "Fast Car" last year, Simone (also known as Ariana Simone Clay) is with Ford Models and MGM Models.
Non-binary actor Ezra Miller (The Flash) is facing more legal troubles, Deadline reported. The latest case involves parents of an 18-year-old named Tokata Iron Eyes who filed paperwork asking a judge to issue an order of protection against the actor on behalf of their child. "Ezra uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata," according to the filing. Miller was arrested twice earlier this year—once for an altercation in a bar and another time for second-degree assault.
Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor confirmed to the BBC that the band would be releasing a new song featuring the band's late, legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury, called "Face It Alone," Deadline reported. Taylor called it "a little gem from Freddie," culled from the sessions for their 13th studio album, The Miracle, which was released in 1989. Mercury died of AIDS-related pneumonia two years later at age 45.
In a historic first, the Nederlander Organization will rename one of its Broadway theaters to honor the great performer and civil-rights activist Lena Horne, Deadline reported. The venue, currently the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, will be the first Broadway venue named for a Black woman. The new name—The Lena Horne Theatre—will become official this fall at a renaming ceremony. The venue currently houses the hit Broadway musical Six.
The iHeartRadio Music Festival is returning to Las Vegas and a star-studded lineup is set to take over the stage at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 23-24, the outlet revealed. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, this year's festival will feature performances from Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Halsey, Lionel Richie, LL COOL J, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Megan Thee Stallion, Morgan Wallen, Nicki Minaj, Pat Benetar and Neil Giraldo, Sam Smith, The Black Keys and more. As always, the show will include one-of-a-kind collaborations and surprise performances.
International platinum-selling singer/songwriter Darren Hayes of Savage Garden fame has released his new single "Poison Blood," detailing his experiences with depression and suicide, per a press release. Written, orchestrated and produced entirely by Hayes, the track articulates his family's history of depression and suicide. This marks his 20th year as a solo recording artist as well as the 25th anniversary of Savage Garden's acclaimed debut, self-titled album. Those who know someone who needs help should contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
Dear Evan Hansen—the Tony-, Grammy- and Olivier Award-winning musical—will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, Sept. 18, nearly six years after opening at the Music Box Theatre, Deadline noted. At closing, the musical will have played 1,678 regular performances and 21 preview performances, making it one of the 50 longest-running Broadway shows in history. And on a related note, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will play its final performance at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Sunday, Aug. 14. Tina will launch a 30-city national tour on Sept. 14 in Providence, Rhode Island—the sixth global production of the musical.
Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner Carol Burnett has joined the cast of Mrs. American Pie—the Apple comedy series starring Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Allison Janney and Leslie Bibb, among others, according to Deadline. The legendary Burnett will star as Norma, the grande dame of Palm Beach high society and a keeper of secrets, with more than a few of her own.
Lambda Literary announced that Aisha Sabatini Sloan was the 2022 winner of the Jeanne Cordova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction, per a press release. In memory of the activist and author, the Cordova Prize honors lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction writers. Sloan was awarded the prize for her work on the book-length essay Borealis (Coffee House Press, 2021), which traces her experiences moving through the Alaskan outdoors. The award was established in 2018 and includes a cash prize of $2,500.
Singer Justin Bieber took to Instagram to explain the "pretty serious virus" that has paralyzed half of his face and caused the cancelation of shows in Toronto and D.C., Variety reported. In a two-and-a-half-minute post, he explained and demonstrated that he is suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome—a rare virus that affects nerves in the face and can cause facial paralysis. Overall, however, he was upbeat and took a positive attitude that he will undergo therapy and exercises in order to overcome his ailment and "get my face back to where it's supposed to be."
In a new clip shared on social media, Britney Spears showed scenes from her June 9 wedding to Sam Asghari, Billboard noted. Spears is seen kissing and dancing with her husband, showing her wedding gown and getting close to Madonna for a little "Like a Virgin" fun in a series of wedding reception videos. In another video that had already circulated after the nuptials, Spears, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore and Donatella Versace were seen singing along to another Madonna's classic, "Vogue."
Multi-platinum-selling and Grammy- Juno, and Polaris Prize-nominated singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen announced a fall North American headline tour, per a press release. Her first North American headline tour since 2019, The So Nice Tour make stops in Cleveland, Montreal, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Chicago (the last stop, on Nov. 4, at the Aragon Ballroom), among other cities. She will also perform June 25 at Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis, and will perform in July and August in Europe and Japan.
Ben Affleck's untitled Nike drama for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures has assembled a stellar cast, Deadline noted. The cast includes Jason Bateman (Ozark), Viola Davis (The Woman King), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour franchise), Marlon Wayans (Respect) and Chris Messina (Sharp Objects), among others. Director Affleck is also starring in the pic.
Uma Thurman and Henry Golding have joined Charlize Theron in The Old Guard 2, Neflix's sequel to its hit 2020 action movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new installment is bringing back original cast members KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Veronica Ngo and Chiwetel Ejiofor as it adapts the comic book by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez.
What We Do in the Shadows has been renewed for fifth and sixth seasons by FX, Deadline noted. Season four of the comedy premieres at 9 p.m. CT on Tuesday, July 12, on FX and streams the next day on Hulu, where the first three seasons are available. In its first two seasons, the vampire-focused comedy show earned 10 Emmy Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Everything Everywhere All At Once is now the highest-grossing film in A24 history, passing Ari Aster's Hereditary, Out Magazine noted. "Everything" stars Michelle Yeoh as a mother with a struggling laundry company, a father with declining health and traditional views, a lesbian daughter she doesn't understand and a husband who wants a divorce. The film—which also also stars Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan (who also delivers an Oscar-worthy performance), Jamie Lee Curtis and James Hong—has been widely praised for its writing, stunning visuals, bold message and acting. Yeoh is already getting heavy Oscar buzz for her role.
Leah Remini will take over for Matthew Morrison as the new So You Think You Can Dance judge, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Morrison exited the show on May 27 after violating its competition production protocols, and joins fellow judges Stephen "Twitch" Boss and Jojo Siwa. Remini (The King of Queens) has won two Emmys for A&E's docuseries Scientology and the Aftermath and recently had a guest host run on The Wendy Williams Show; she also hosts the game show People Puzzler on GSN and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for her work.
Airbnb is offering guests a chance to stay in a camper re-creation of the Mystery Machine, hosted by a member of the Mystery Inc. gang from the live-action Scooby-Doo films, according to FOX59.com . Under host, the listing modestly says "Matthew"—but that Matthew is Matthew Lillard, the actor who played Shaggy, Scooby-Doo's best pal, in Scooby-Doo: The Movie and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Three one-night stays are up for grabs for June 24, June 25 and June 26. Each stay costs only $20, plus taxes and fees. Each booking is limited to a maximum of two people, and it opens June 16. See https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/585502008656046417?source_impression_id=p3_1654545237_xm2Qy0s43baZNWUI.
Christina Aguilera has launched a Pride-related collection, per a press release. XTina's 2022 Pride Collection was started to celebrate her performance at this year's LA Pride Festival on June 11. The four-piece collection includes a trucker hart, a heart and LA Pride 2022 T-shirts, and a "Say Gay" hoodie. See Shop.ChristinaAguilera.com .
Reigning scream queen Neve Campbell isn't returning for Scream 6, per Variety. Campbell—who plays the perpetually targeted Sidney Prescott in the long-running slasher series—will not be reprising her role in the upcoming installment because she felt "the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."
Colton Haynes (Arrow) briefly spoke about his divorce from celebrity florist Jeff Leatham, according to Just Jared. Haynes, on Sirius XM's Radio Andy, said, in part, "I wasn't in the right mind, obviously, clearly, especially if you read my book, you'll understand that. But I'm so glad that's not something that I legally was able to talk about because … it would've come from a place of just sadness. And also… I now am at a point in my life where I'm able to just completely like, realize my love for Jeff and like, really just like, understand that, you know, when you go through something like that, it's, you're not the only person that's hurting." The pair wed in 2017, with Haynes filing for divorce six months later; they briefly reconciled in late 2018 before splitting again a few months later. They reached a divorce settlement in 2019.
Almost a year after Harvey Weinstein was extradited to Los Angeles to face rape and other multiple sex crimes charges, the embattled producer learned his trial will start Oct. 10, per Deadline. Looking at 140 years behind bars if found guilty, Weinstein is facing grand jury indictments of four counts of rape, among several other charges. First charged and arrested for rape in May 2018 after detailed revelations by the New York Times in October 2017 into decades of abuse and alleged assaults by Weinstein, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison just over two years ago.
