Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) This weekend brings a couple of Sundance faves to the big screen, including the romantic dramedy Celeste and Jesse Forever. The film follows an attempt by a former married couple to retain their friendship as each contemplates moving on, and stars Rashida Jones (who also co-wrote) and Andy Samberg. Also featured is Elijah Wood as Celeste’s gay work friend, Scott, as you can see in the trailer below.
2) New Yorkers can catch another Sundance entry, as the Kickstarter success story, Mosquita y Mari, opens there. From out director Aurora Guerrero, the film follows two Chicana high school girls in Los Angeles whose intimate friendship challenges their ideas of identity.
3) Director John Cameron Mitchell has developed the first draft of a sequel to the stage production and film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He is scheduled to perform a reading of the sequel on September 16 at the Afterglow Festival in Provincetown, MA. Mitchell will be pulling the wig down from the shelf and reprising the role of the title character.
4) Glee fans have been begging for the deleted “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” scene in which Blaine presents Kurt with a ring box for months, and this week, it paid off. The “box scene” was featured in previews and episodic stills, but cut from the aired episode. The episode script was won at auction this year by a dedicated group of fans who posted the scene transcript online. Ryan Murphy promised to release the scene via Twitter when reaching 50,000 followers, and has said he will continue to post other Glee deleted scenes. Check out the scene below.
5) Congratulations are in order for Vito Russo Award recipients Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. The pair signed a deal with Universal TV and NBCUniversal International to produce TV series and specials in the U.S. and internationally, in addition to a deal with Sony Picture Televisions to produce TV movies and miniseries. Zadan and Meron serve as executive producers on the NBC hit drama Smash and recently announced a Sound of Music special for the network. Throughout their career they produced iconic films such as Chicago, Hairspray and The Bucket List but also many inclusive and GLAAD Media Awards winning projects, including Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story and What Makes a Family.
6) While Happy Endings fans will have to wait until October 23 for the return of the ABC comedy, Adam Pally, who plays the openly gay Max on the series, talked to reporters during the TCA press tour and teased them about what’s to come for the out character. Pally revealed Max would have a hard time when his friend Penny starts dating someone but more importantly told fans he would have several love interests in the upcoming season. During the interview, the actor also joked about 19-year old Max falling in love with out musician Frank Ocean.
7) Same Difference is a new documentary about LGBT adolescents who are dealing with bullying and isolation. Filmmakers hope the film will help these teens combat loneliness, educate others and encourage acceptance in their environments. The creators are looking for funding help to continue filming as well as cover post-production and distribution costs. Visit the film’s Kickstarter page to learn more and watch the trailer below.