The GLAAD Wrap: ‘The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson’ trailer; new music from Rostam; and more!

The GLAAD Wrap: ‘The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson’ trailer; new music from Rostam; and more!

Courtesy of Netflix

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 the anticipated Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. The film explores the unsolved mystery of Johnson’s death, and her extraordinary life of activism, most notably throwing the first brick at the Stonewall Riots. Check out the trailer below, and watch the documentary on Netflix on October 6th.

2) Strangers in Paradise, the long running graphic novel from Terry Moore, is being adapted into a feature film. Strangers in Paradise ran for over a decade and received a GLAAD Media Award in 2001. It tells the story of Katrina “Katchoo” Choovanski, who is in love with her best friend Francine, but also potentially has feelings for a newcomer, David. Out director Angela Robinson will direct and adapt the film along with Moore.

3) A feature film adaptation of Mikey Walsh’s memoir Gypsy Boy is in the works. Gypsy Boy tells the story of former boxer and LGBTQ activist Walsh, who grew up fighting in the Romani community before he was outed and forced to leave that community and his family. Casting is underway for the film, with Benedict Cumberbatch cast as Walsh’s father, and production of Gypsy Boy is slated to start in summer.

4) A clip has been released for the upcoming drama My Days of Mercy starring out actress Ellen Page as Lucy, the daughter of a man on death row who wants to abolish the death penalty, and Kate Mara as Mercy, who is in favor of it. Though the two have opposite views on the matter, they share an undeniable attraction. The film recently played at TIFF, to reviews praising Page’s performance in particular.  

5) Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival opens next week. The festival will run from September 21st – September 24th, with a special Best of Fest taking place the 29th and the 30th. The films this year cover a wider variety of LGBTQ people, including many stories from abroad. This includes Locked In, which follows a group of activists in South Africa fighting for the rights of transgender Muslims, Guru, A Hirja Family, and short films from Iran, Syria, the Netherlands, and more! Tickets for the festival and more info is available here!

6) In casting news, activist and actress Hari Nef has been cast as a recurring role in the Lifetime thriller You, co-written by out writer/producer Greg Berlanti. Jane Lynch and Andrew Rannells have been cast as guest roles in the upcoming Will & Grace revival. Details about their characters are unknown, but they will both appear in the same episode. Alexandra Billings has been cast as a recurring role in Amazon’s Goliath. She will play Judge Martha Wallace in the second season of the show.

7) The CW has released a slew of trailers this week for many of their LGBTQ-inclusive shows. This includes a teaser for season 3 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a sneak peek at season 2 of Riverdale, and a new promo for the reboot of Dynasty featuring a kiss between Steven Carrington and a mysterious man on an elevator. The network’s DC franchise series also had new trailers come out this week, with looks at the upcoming second season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and a trailer for the third season of Supergirl. All of these shows premiere the week of October 8th.

8) TBS had a series of renewals this week, including desert island comedy Wrecked which features Pack, an out gay man, as one of the main characters. In other TBS news, a trailer for season two of the critically acclaimed dark comedy Search Party has been released, where the gang of millennials has to bury a body and also avoid being followed. The cast includes out comedian and actor John Early as Elliot.

9) Indie band Mutts released their EP, Stick Together, on Tuesday, led by out frontman Mike Maimone. Their sound has been compared to Tom Waits and the Sonics, and the album is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, as well as purchase on Bandcamp and iTunes. In addition to Stick Together, Mutts also released a music video for their song “I’ll Be Around” directed by Maimone and featuring several queer couples and a message of acceptance and love. You can watch the video below and be sure to check out Stick Together.

10) Rostam Batmanglij, an out musician and producer, released Half-Light on Friday, his first solo album since splitting from indie alternative band Vampire Weekend. The album showcases different aspects of Batmanglij’s talent that he’s used working with other artists. Half-Light also includes the song “Bike Dream,” which tells an uncommon queer love story. Watch the lyric viedo for “Bike Dream” below and be sure to stream or purchase the album wherever music is sold.

11) Out filmmaker Dan Hass is making a short film called Magic H8 Ball, which centers on a people-pleasing man, who realizes his boyfriend has been cheating on him when he gets diagnosed with an STD. After that, he decides to leave all of his decisions up to a Magic 8 ball, which may have more power – and sinister intentions – than one might think.. Magic H8 Ball has an almost entirely queer cast and crew, and aims to tell a relatable and humorous story. You can find out more info and how to contribute here.

September 15, 2017

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