“On Swift Horses,” the new dramatic feature from director Daniel Minahan (“Fellow Travelers”) and screenwriter Bryce Kass (“Lizzie”), recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The period film, based on the novel by Shannon Pufahi, follows a family settling in California in the 1950s. But get the image of 50s heteronormativity out of your head: the story branches out into a heterosexual love triangle, a secret lesbian dalliance, and a passionate gay affair. Jacob Elordi (“Saltburn”) and Diego Calva (“Babylon”) reportedly steam up the screen with their love scenes, bouncing off the “straight” marriage of characters played by Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Twisters”) and Will Poulter (“The Bear”). There’s no word yet on a general theatrical date but this sounds like the kind of grown-up, Oscar-friendly romantic drama (it’s a law now: at least one big Oscar movie has to be queer) that would fit right into a holiday release schedule. Stay tuned.
Sir Ian teases future Gandalf surprise
What we know: Andy Serkis will direct and star in the first of two new “Lord of the Rings” films for Warner Bros, and the current working title of the first one is “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing the screenplay and Peter Jackson producing. But other than Serkis reprising the role of Gollum, no new cast has been announced, which led Sir Ian McKellen to get a little coy about his own possible return as wizard Gandalf the White during a recent interview with “The Big Issue.” The actor is reported as saying, “Enthusiasm for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ shows no signs of abating… I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.” As queer LOTR fans who were shipping Frodo and Sam before it was cool, we love this, obviously. But we love coded descriptions of contract and salary negotiations even more. Ok, WB, go write Sir Ian his check!
Charli XCX joins “I Want Your Sex”
New Queer Cinema legend Gregg Araki (“The Living End,” “Mysterious Skin”) is already shooting his latest feature, “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde as a boundary-pushing artist who turns a young male protégé (Cooper Hoffman, “Licorice Pizza”) into her sexual muse, a scenario that spirals into obsession, domination and murder. When we first heard about the movie we were excited to think that Araki was turning the 90s erotic thriller genre upside down and shaking it. We just didn’t know he was going to shake this hard: he’s cast British pop star and social media meme obsession Charli XCX. What role the on-fire, queer-fave singer will take in the story is under wraps but her addition to the horny project just added a ton of queer buzz to an already anticipated film. Brat Summer might be over but Brat Cinema is coming soon.
Neil Patrick Harris and Jane Krakowski join “Shit.Meet.Fan”
Quick, book a flight to New York City, not simply because the autumn leaves in Central Park are about to go all “When Harry Met Sally,” but to see Jane Krakowski and Neil Patrick Harris join an already-high-profile cast for queer playwright and director Robert O’Hara’s (“Insurrection: Holding History” “Slave Play”) upcoming Off-Broadway play “Shit.Meet.Fan.” Based on the 2016 film “Perfect Strangers,” it’s the story of what happens when a group of friends play a very awkward cocktail party game: sharing the contents of their phones in front of everyone else. What could go wrong? Everything, of course. Harris and Krakowski will join co-stars Debra Messing, Billy Magnussen, Constance Wu, Garret Dillahunt (“Fear The Walking Dead”) and Trammell Tillman (“Severance”) when the show opens at MCC Theater on October 28, through November 17.
Romeo San Vicente’s phone pics are already out there.
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