GAY TIMES speaks with The Wedding Banquet director Andrew Ahn and stars Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan and Joan Chen about the queer rom-com’s relevance in an era of rising conservatism.

WORDS BY SAM DAMSHENAS

The stars of The Wedding Banquet have reflected on the film’s significance for LGBTQIA+, Asian and Indigenous-American representation, particularly in the era of Trump 2.0.

A remake of the 1993 classic of the same name, the queer rom-com follows lesbian couple Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone), who are trying to have a baby via IVF but can’t afford a third round of treatment. They live with their friends: Min (Han Gi-chan), the closeted heir to a multinational empire, and his commitment-averse boyfriend, Chris (Bowen Yang).

When Chris turns down Min’s marriage proposal, Min decides to arrange a green-card marriage with Angela, offering to fund Lee’s IVF in exchange. Their plan is thrown into chaos when Min’s grandmother (Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung) arrives from Korea to meet her future granddaughter-in-law, and insists on throwing an extravagant wedding bash.

Directed by Andrew Ahn (Fire Island), The Wedding Banquet received rave reviews for Ahn’s direction and the cast’s performances, as well its homage to the original film as the refreshing dynamic between a gay and lesbian couple.

In an interview with GAY TIMES, Ahn reveals that he wanted to “reimagine” The Wedding Banquet for modern audiences, especially given the LGBTQIA+ community’s recent strides in marriage equality and parenthood.

“I wondered, ‘Now that we can [get married], do we actually want to? Should we?’ With my boyfriend, now that we have the option, it becomes a responsibility, a choice. I think there’s a lot of millennial indecision that we have,” explains Ahn. “And with children, I had this conversation with my boyfriend early on in our dating and he said, ‘If it happens it happens.’ I was like, ‘No! That doesn’t work that way for gay people.’”

“I realised in that moment, as a gay person, we have to be extremely intentional about having children and any sort of small hesitation actually becomes a big obstacle,” he continues. “I kind of split up my relationship with my boyfriend into these two couples – Chris and Min and Angela and Lee – to tackle these two ideas of how queer families can grow.”

Gi-chan, who makes his English-language debut in The Wedding Banquet, says he was drawn to Min as a “three-dimensional, complicated character” caught between living authentically as a gay man and fulfilling the expectations of his Korean family, a tension that reflects the complex intersection of queerness and cultural tradition.

“He’s still in the closet. And when I look at Min, he has a very child-like innocence, which I was really attracted to,” he says. “I think that everyone has a little child-like moment in the corner of their hearts, but we try to hide those moments when we grow up. That was similar to me, so it was the most charming [aspect of Min that] I was trying to make natural on the screen.”

For Yang, he was interested in exploring why Chris is “paralysed by what’s possible”, how he’s sabotaging a happy future with Min because he’s still “dejected” by what’s no longer possible in other areas of his life. “I’ve been saying that this is about a gay couple and a lesbian couple, and there’s a lot of overlap in that Venn diagram,” the Las Culturistas star continues. “But, marriage and parenthood aren’t necessarily living in that overlap. So, what makes this movie very interesting and compelling is that these are two couples that have to grapple with two things they are not normally faced with understanding or really moving through in normal circumstances.”

The inclusion of both queer men and women as lead characters in The Wedding Banquet is one of many reasons the film is groundbreaking. While authentic queer narratives have become more visible in recent years, from All of Us Strangers and Fellow Travelers to Love Lies Bleeding and Bottoms, it’s still rare to see queer characters of different genders sharing the spotlight equally. Ahn quips that “gay men are so annoying sometimes” – a sentiment Yang immediately agrees with – before adding that there’s much to learn from other members of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly when it comes to “showing solidarity and the organic friendships that can happen.”

Unlike his experience on Fire Island, which featured a predominantly male cast to reflect the setting, Ahn envisioned The Wedding Banquet as more representative of his own “friend group”. “That’s something I really valued in the experience of making this film,” he says. “And honestly, getting to work with Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone? What a cast. I was very happy to show this mixed queer family.”

Tran, best known for her role as Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, emphasises the importance of visibility for viewers with little exposure to East Asian, Indigenous-American or queer communities. “These are also human beings who are full of hopes and dreams, who want to be loved and accepted,” she says. In light of the current political climate, where LGBTQIA+ rights are under threat and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being rolled back, Tran underscores that “legislation doesn’t change until the culture does.” With that in mind, she adds, “Hopefully we get to change culture, change legislation, and make change. That is the dream.”

In light of content honouring Navajo Code Talkers being removed from various U.S. government websites, Gladstone emphasises just how timely a film like The Wedding Banquet is amid what she describes as a “slow rise in fascism”: “We’re rhyming with a very significant part of history again. I feel like, because our characters come from strong, identifiable cultural backgrounds that shape their queerness, it shaped how our characters interact with each other and is making a statement about the great DEI experiment of our time: America.”

Gladstone shares that the script for The Wedding Banquet didn’t explicitly identify Lee as Indigenous, but she approaches every role through the lens of her own identity. To illustrate, she cites a quote from Danny DeVito: “No matter what character I play, they’re all going to be short!” Gladstone, who memorably became the first Indigenous-American to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress and to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, for her role as an Osage woman in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), saw The Wedding Banquet as an opportunity to continue honouring her heritage. She named her character after Princess Angeline, the daughter of Chief Seattle, leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples.

Building on that, Gladstone made a conscious choice to root Lee’s motivations and relationships in a deeply Indigenous worldview, one that pushes back against colonial ideas of land, family, and identity. “I had to decide why, in this day and age, it’s important for Lee to have a child of her own. It’s set up that we found a Taiwanese sperm, so the child would look, at least, like its mom, and it’s clearly Lee’s own egg. So, why would that be important to her?” For Gladstone, the idea of “keeping Duwamish land in Duwamish hands” became central to Lee’s story, especially considering that the Duwamish people, the original inhabitants of Seattle, are still not federally recognised and have repeatedly had their attempts at recognition blocked. Making Lee a Duwamish woman allowed both the character and the film to explore themes of land sovereignty and generational continuity.

Decolonising the concept of family was equally important. Gladstone notes that “it’s been only fairly recently in our history where the idea of the nuclear family has been introduced through colonisation,” along with homophobia, transphobia, and genderphobia. “There’s always traditionally been a space for multiple genders, multiple sexualities. The two have been delineated by our language and cultural practice. A lot of what seems like ‘new knowledge now,’ you can find roots in Indigenous knowledge.” For her, it was crucial that Lee be an explicitly Indigenous character who is “decolonising all of those things by being a community leader, by housing unhoused trans and queer youth, by creating a home for queer families on her ancestral land.”

@gaytimes Lily Gladstone reflects on the importance of indigenous representation in The Wedding Banquet ❤️ #interview #indigenous #indigenoustiktok #newmovie #nativeamerican #representation #queertiktok #dannydevito ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

The Wedding Banquet also stars Joan Chen as May Chen, Angela’s mother who, after previously rejecting her for her sexuality, has now become an unwavering LGBTQIA+ ally (and a “mother,” if you will), leading their local PFLAG chapter (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Chen previously played Hwei-Lan Gao in Saving Face (2004), one of the first-ever films to centre an LGBTQIA+ Chinese character. It has since been hailed as one of the greatest queer films of all time. Despite May’s consistent efforts to be supportive, Angela sees her activism as performative, and that tension drives a wedge between them.

Whether it’s performative or not, May is trying – and that effort to do better is something many parents of LGBTQIA+ children can learn from. “This is the only way to love your children,” Chen tells GAY TIMES. “I have other lesbian friends who were in that generation, like the Saving Face director [Alice Wu], her generation, everybody has that tragedy, especially for East Asian families, how to tell your family [that you are queer]. Where I come from, it’s still not allowed in mainstream media. You think you’re a failure if your children are not straight. It’s like, ‘No, you cannot be gay because I’m not a bad mother’. That kind of attitude.”

Chen explains that May has overcome many of the prejudices and societal expectations placed on her as an East Asian mother of a queer child, and is now doing her best to “make up for it”: “You love her, not knowing that she has, in the beginning, hurt her child so deeply, traumatised [her]. But she’s not unique, it happens in most Asian cultures. [Wu] came out to her mom and, for two years, they didn’t speak, until the mother turned around. Somehow, you know, there is no other way to love your children.”

The Wedding Banquet is out in UK cinemas now.

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Jane Schoenbrun, the director of I Saw the TV Glow, has cast Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder in their highly-anticipated next film.

Titled Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, the film is Schoenbrun’s “best attempt at the ‘sleepover classic’: an insane yet cozy midnight odyssey that beckons to unsuspecting viewers from the horror section at the local video store.”

It will be produced by Plan B Entertainment, with Mubi financing the film in North America, Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Turkey, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Schoenbrun continued: “I couldn’t be more excited to be heading to sleepaway camp this summer with the mad comic genius Hannah Einbinder, the legendary Gillian Anderson, and the daring folks at Mubi and Plan B, who by greenlighting this movie have summoned a plague-like flood of blood, guts, and various other fluids to rain down on us all.”

Anderson, Emmy winner, author and gay icon, is best-known for her iconic roles as Dana Scully in The X-Files (1993-2018), Stella Gibson in The Fall (2013-2016) and Dr. Jean Milburn in Sex Education (2019-2023).

HANNAH &
GILLIAN &
MUBI &
MEhttps://t.co/ShEwZIfuwR

— Jane Schoenbrun (@sapphicspielbrg) May 9, 2025

Last year, she carried on the iconic legacy of Milburn by exploring the complexities of female sexuality in her groundbreaking book Want. Anderson can next be seen alongside Jason Isaacs in the biographical drama The Salt Path, scheduled for release in the UK on 30 May.

Einbinder rose to stardom as bisexual writer Ava Daniels on the lauded Max comedy Hacks, for which she has received three nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards and three nominations at the Golden Globes. In 2024, she released her first comedy special on Max, titled Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma will be the third feature film from Schoenbrun after We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021) and I Saw the TV Glow (2024), both of which were released to overwhelming critical acclaim.

Heavily influenced by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the latter psychological drama was lauded for Justice Smith and Jack Haven’s lead performances, its dark aesthetic and allegorical exploration of the trans experience.

Revisit the trailer for the brilliant I Saw the TV Glow below.

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The first trailer for The Old Guard 2 has finally arrived, promising even more twists and turns than its predecessor.

Set to be released on 2 July on Netflix, the upcoming film follows a newly mortal Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of mercenaries as they battle a new threat against humanity.

The official synopsis reads: “Andy and her team of immortal warriors are back, with a renewed sense of purpose in their mission to protect the world.

“With Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Vân Veronica Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardise everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years.

“Andy, Nile (Kiki Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), enlist the help of Tuah (Henry Goulding), an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence.”

On 8 May, Netflix finally blessed fans with the first trailer for The Old Guard 2.

At the start of the exciting teaser, Andy reflects on her mortality, telling Nile she’s finally at peace.

However, Andy and her friends’ harmonious existence doesn’t last long due to the return of the villainous Discord (Uma Thurman), the first of the immortals.

“For centuries, I watched you fight to protect humanity. While forsaking your own kind. I will destroy you and everything you stand for with a power you can’t even imagine yet,” Discord menacingly states.

In addition to their battle against Discord, the team must deal with the return of Quynh, who’s free from her underwater prison and on a quest for vengeance.

In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Theron teased that The Old Guard 2 will have “something for everyone.”

“Fans who loved the first film, fans who loved the original graphic novels – and brand-new fans who are looking for insane action, grounded and relatable characters, gorgeous locations, and a global cast of superstars,” she said.

“We’re going to meet some brand new characters. Andy and her warriors are back with a renewed sense of purpose. The stakes are even higher now that Anndy is mortal and can die – but that certainly won’t keep her out of the action.”

In a separate interview with Tudum, screenwriter and creator of the original comic Greg Rucka echoed similar sentiments while teasing the motives of the film’s characters this time around.

“We come into The Old Guard 2 with Andy on a mission, and one of the questions the second film raises is the legitimacy of that mission,” he explained.

“What I find most fascinating about these immortal characters is that fundamentally, they all face the same questions we do: What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my life.”

The Old Guard 2 comes five years after the first film’s release, which received widespread acclaim for its immersive plot, Theron’s leading performance and the groundbreaking same-sex storyline between Kenzari and Marinelli’s characters, Joe and Nicky.

Check out the full trailer here or below.

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Lux Pascal’s new film, Miss Carbón, has received an exciting update.

Inspired by the groundbreaking true story of Carla Antonella Rodríguez, the Agustina Macri-directed feature follows Carlita (Pascal), a trans woman who breaks boundaries and local superstitions by becoming the first female miner in her town.

Paco León, Simone Mercado, Lautaro Zera, Laura Grandinetti, and Romanina Escobar star alongside Pascal.

On 8 May, nearly a year after filming concluded, Carmel Films dropped the first trailer for Miss Carbón. In the teaser, Carlita is shown navigating her new job, gender transition, and hateful pushback from her male co-workers, who believe that mining work is only reserved for men.

The production company announced that Miss Carbón will be released in Spain on 13 June. As of writing, however, an international release date has yet to be confirmed.

In a statement, director Macri described the film as a “prime example of what dreaming can achieve.”

“The courage shown by Carlita to fulfil her dream of being a miner and also a woman is something that pierced my soul from the day I read the script for the first time,” she said.

“With her strength and spirit, she is a prime example of what dreaming can achieve and that there is still a lot of ground to overcome as women and transwomen. But she, in that sense, brings hope.”

 

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The film’s producer, Merry Colomer of Morena Films, echoed similar sentiments in a separate statement.

“Having a coffee with [the film’s screenwriter] Erika [Halvosen] was enough to know that this was a story I wanted to help tell: full of truth, light and brave women. From a corner of Patagonia, Miss Carbón comes to confront the world with the present and the near future. And it’s wonderful to help contribute to this challenge,” she said.

Miss Carbón comes four years after Pascal – the younger sibling of The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal – publicly came out as trans during an interview with Ya Magazine.

In the feature, Lux said her transition has been “natural” for everyone in the family because it’s “almost something that they expected to happen.”

She praised her brother for his continuous support, adding that he has “been an important part of this. He’s also an artist and has served as a guide for me. He was one of the first people to gift me the tools that started shaping my identity.“

 

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When Lux came out as transgender to the Fantastic Four: First Steps actor over FaceTime, she said he “asked me how I felt, because I remember he was a little worried,“ but he congratulated her once she told him that she was happy.

Since coming out, the Pascal siblings and their close bond have continued to warm the hearts of fans worldwide.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lux gushed about Pedro and his mainstream success.

“I’m incredibly proud. But the thing is that I’ve always known that he is a superstar. It’s funny because people have been asking, ‘Is he as kind as we think he is?‘ And I’m like, ‘Yes!‘” she told the news outlet.

“What makes him so fabulous is that [Pedro] wears all his humanity on his sleeve, and he doesn’t hide who he is. And I think that’s refreshing because usually, we move around the world hiding who we are.

“That’s the main lesson I’ve gotten from him: There’s no reason for me to hide who I am, right? And I think people are seeing that.”

Check out the trailer for Miss Carbón below.

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Leo Woodall and Sebastian Stan are teaming up for a new gay drama.

According to Deadline, The White Lotus actor and Thunderbolts star are set to play a couple in Justin Kurzel’s upcoming project, Burning Rainbow Farm.

Based on Dean Kuiper’s book of the same name, the film explores the true story of Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rohm, a gay couple based in rural Southwest Michigan who run a pot-friendly paradise called Rainbow Farm.

However, when the lovebirds “run afoul of local authorities and their young son is taken from them,” their once joyous campground becomes the centre of one of “the largest and most dramatic sieges American has ever seen.”

Stan has signed on to play Tom Crosslin, while Woodall is portraying Rollie Rohm.

In a statement, Kurzel expressed excitement for the upcoming film and collaborating with its two stars.

“Burning Rainbow is a love story about two outliers who raise their middle finger to hate and declare ‘This is who we are, and we dare you to take it from us,” he said. “I’m excited to create this lovable and courageous couple with Sebastian and Leo, their union will be one to remember.”

In addition to Kurzel, Burning Rainbow Farm will be produced by Thirdborn’s Nicole O’Donohue, Alexandra Taussig, Adam Shulman from Anonymous Content, Alix Madigan from Mad Dog Films and Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel from Votiv.

A release date and additional casting information for the forthcoming drama have not been announced as of this writing.

However, the aforementioned news outlet reported that CAA Media Finance has been tapped to handle North American Distribution rights. At the same time, Rocket Science will introduce the film to international buyers at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival – taking place between 13 May and 24 May.

Woodall memorably rose to fame as an uncle-fucked in the second season of The White Lotus, before gaining worldwide recognition and acclaim as Dexter Mayhew in Netflix’s adaptation of One Day.

He also made his major film debut this year as Renee Zellweger’s new love interest in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and recently earned rave reviews for his role as queer math graduate student Edward Brooks in Apple TV’s Prime Target.

Stan is best known to audiences for his dynamic work as James “Bucky” Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in Captain America: The First Avenger.

In addition to his longstanding role in the Marvel film and TV sector, he has earned critical acclaim for his roles in I, Tonya, Pam & Tommy, A Different Man and The Apprentice, with the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Stay tuned for more updates about Burning Rainbow Farm.

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Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans take centre stage in the first raunchy, action-packed trailer for Honey Don’t!

Set in Bakersfield, California, the Ethan Coen-directed film follows Honey O’Donahue (Qualley), a “small-town private investigator who delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church” and its charismatic leader (Evans).

In addition to Qualley, Evans and Plaza, the upcoming project stars Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Talia Ryder, Gabby Beans, Lera Abova, Kristen Connolly and Lena Hall.

The film is labelled as the second entry in Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke’s “lesbian B-movie trilogy”, which kicked off with 2024’s Drive Away Dolls.

On 7 May, film enthusiasts were finally treated to the first trailer for Honey Don’t! – which gave an exhilarating sneak peek into the film’s comedic, queer and chaotic storyline.

At the start of the teaser, Honey walks down an empty hallway in the Bakersfield Police Department before arriving at the evidence locker, which is run by an officer named MG (Plaza).

“Is that the address you wanted?” Plaza’s character says, resulting in Honey replying: “Thanks MG.”

The sexual tension between the two characters gets thicker when MG asks: “Honey right? Love those click-clacking heels.”

The trailer then transitions to Honey arriving at the crime scene of a woman named Mia Novotny, who was found stabbed to death and stuffed in an overturned car.

While investigating the area, she finds a ring with an ominous-looking cross in the centre. The suspicious find results in Honey travelling to the church, where she witnesses the group’s leader, Priest Dean (Evans), conducting a sermon.

However, despite his religious position, Dean is far from a holy servant, with the next scene showing him having a threesome with two women. As the trailer progresses, Honey digs deeper into Mia Novotny’s disappearance and death.

“She was afraid of something the cops couldn’t help her with. I said I’d help,“ Honey says before it transitions to her finding a church robe and BDSM attire under Mia’s bed.

The end of the trailer teases a sapphic romance/team-up between Honey and MG, as well as lots of murder, violence and dark comedic moments.

Naturally, the teaser was a hit with fans, with one person on X/Twitter writing: “Honey Don’t trailer’s out, and my life suddenly has a meaning again.“

Another viewer tweeted: “THIS IS FOR REAL NOW THAT HONEY DON’T TRAILER IS OUT NOW! THIS IS NOT A DRILL ANYMORE!”

Fortunately, moviegoers won’t have to wait too long for the release of Honey Don’t!

After its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival this month (May), it will be released in the US on 22 August. As of writing, an international release date for Honey Don’t! has not been announced.

In a recent interview with i-d, Qualley opened up about the upcoming film and how she tapped into the role of the titular Honey.

Instead of embracing her “natural Scooby-Doo inclinations,” The Substance star told the publication that she tapped into a “more suave and more mysterious” persona.

“I tend to want to diffuse things before they even happen. [Whereas] Honey, she’s like honey – she’s skilful, she’s smooth, she is slipping in and out undetected, “Qualley explained.

Check out the full trailer for Honey Don’t! here or below.

 

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The writer of Another Simple Favor says the film’s queer storylines—including the controversial incest plot—were inspired by the original’s “big gay following.”

Major spoilers ahead for Another Simple Favor. 

Directed by Paul Feig, the sequel to 2018’s acclaimed dark comedy A Simple Favor reunites Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as Stephanie and Emily, who find themselves caught in another web of secrets, lies, and twists—this time at an Italian wedding.

Also starring Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Elena Sofia Ricci, Henry Golding and Allison Janney, the film has received mixed reviews from both fans and critics, with particular criticism directed at the aforementioned queer incest plot.

In Another Simple Favor, it’s revealed that Charity, the third triplet of the scheming Emily and her late sister Faith, is alive and has been raised by their con artist aunt, Linda (Janney). As if that weren’t shocking enough, it’s uncovered that Charity is a psychopath with a dangerous obsession with Emily, even going so far as to drug and sexually assault her.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, writer Jessica Sharzer revealed that the controversial storyline came to fruition because they “wanted to embrace” the original film’s “big gay following”.

“We wanted to meet those fans and not disappoint them. And so we were looking for opportunities to tell really great stories that also have a queer element to them,” she said.

“There was a wonderful podcast that was completely devoted to the first movie and it was three queer women who were doing A Simple Podcast.

“They were a big reason why we ended up doing a sequel at all because they interviewed the key cast, Paul and me, and it just revived all of our interest in the project and gave Paul the idea to do a sequel.”

Sharzer, who co-wrote Another Simple Favor with Laeta Kalogridis and whose previous credits include The L Word and American Horror Story, continued: “So the queer element of the franchise is baked in as far as we’re concerned to the storytelling and the relationship between Anna and Blake in the movie we see as a love story.

“It may not be a romantic story, but we see it as primarily a love story between two women. It may be twisted, but it is a love story.”

The queer incest storyline in Another Simple Favor follows a similarly controversial plot in the third season of The White Lotus, involving Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola as brothers Saxon and Lochlan Ratliff.

While both storylines have been met with humour online, the growing inclusion of queer incest in Hollywood has drawn criticism for potentially conflating queerness with incest, a harmful association that can distort public perception—particularly among viewers unfamiliar with the LGBTQIA+ experience.

When asked how Lively reacted to the incest storyline, Sharzer shared: “I was on strike during a lot of these developments and these conversations, and so I wasn’t part of all of them, but I think Blake really was behind this decision.

“I don’t think it was handed to her without her participation. My sense is that she really embraced it and wanted to do it.”

Another Simple Favor is now streaming on Prime Video.

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In what feels like a fever dream of casting, Manu Ríos and Kit Connor are set to star opposite each other in an upcoming zombie flick!

According to Deadline, the respective Elité and Heartstopper icons will lead the horror film Rapture, joined by On Swift Horses star Will Poulter. It will mark a reunion for Connor and Poulter, who recently appeared together in A24’s Warfare (2025).

Set in Medieval England in 1348, the film “alights on Lansley Abbey, a remote stone monastery in Yorkshire, which houses ten monks bound by a life of strict routine and devotion”.

Deadline’s synopsis continues: Their fragile peace is disrupted by the arrival of a messenger – a man with haunting news from the outside world who rapidly shows symptoms of a mystery illness. A virulent plague is spreading through the land: marked initially by a hemorrhagic fever, it turns its victims into “revenants” — restless, undead beings.

“As the contagion closes in, Lansley Abbey becomes a battleground: desperate outsiders beg for refuge while the infected threaten to overrun its walls. The monks are torn apart by a moral rift — between those who believe they must care for the sick and those who want to protect the centuries of knowledge safe-guarded by the monastery.

“As death is fully unleashed, so too is the brothers’ capacity for extraordinary acts of altruism and ruthless betrayal, forcing them to confront the ultimate question: what does it mean to be human?”

Set to begin filming in Hungary later this year, Rapture marks the feature debut of acclaimed playwright and director Jordan Tannahill. The film is being produced by Elevation Pictures (Infinity Pool), 2AM (Past Lives), and Brookstreet Pictures (The Brutalist), with Eli Arenson (Lamb) on board as director of photography.

In a statement, Gabrielle Stewart, CEO HanWay Films, said: “We have all been blown away by the vision Jordan has for Rapture.

“It is rare to have such an atmospheric and terrifying zombie horror film that inhabits such an authentic historical world, with complex characters grappling with the biggest moral dilemmas. It is no wonder he has already attracted such great casting in Will, Kit and Manu with more to come, backed by top tier producers.”

Ríos is best known for his portrayal of Patrick Blanco in Netflix’s beloved Spanish teen series Elité (2021–2022), and has since appeared in La edad de la ira (2022), Strange Way of Life (2023), Muted (2023) and Respira (2024).

Connor rose to superstardom as Nick Nelson in Heartstopper, earning the inaugural Children’s and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance. Over the past year, he has garnered acclaim for his role in the Broadway production of Romeo & Juliet (2024) and the war drama Warfare.

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Following months of anticipation, the first images have been released for Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s highly-anticipated gay drama The History of Sound.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Mary & George), the film is based on the Pushcart Prize-winning novel from Ben Shattuck, a collection of 12 short stories that are set across three centuries and explores generational patterns of love and loss.

The title story follows two young men in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor) begin to log the events, whilst falling in love in the process.

The film’s first stills, revealed by Vanity Fair, depict Mescal submerged shirtless in water, O’Connor caught mid-drag on a cigarette and the pair sharing a quiet, intimate moment as they laugh over coffee.

In an accompanying interview, Hermanus discussed casting Mescal and O’Connor, who have both risen to mega-stardom in recent years—particularly for their roles in the lauded queer films All of Us Strangers and Challengers.

“Their lives were literally changing, and it was always this groupthink situation of, Where can we find the time to force the universe to let us make this film?” said Hermanus.

“We probably wouldn’t have been able to make this film when we wanted to, in 2022, because they weren’t the Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor that we now know today.”

Mescal noted how fortunate he felt to be part of The History of Sound, acknowledging how often beloved projects fail to materialise after years of effort: “How many times do you hear people who really try and get something made over five, 10, 15 years, and it just falls away?

“I remember feeling very lucky. Like, We have to enjoy this. Because we’ll come across other opportunities in our life where we love a script as much as this, and we just don’t get to get it made.”

The Gladiator II star went on to gush about his chemistry with O’Connor, revealing that he brought out a “childlike version” of himself, and that he hadn’t “felt that kind of degree of boyishness in myself for a long time”.

In The History of Sound, the sparse inclusion of sex scenes was a deliberate choice by Hermanus, who told Vanity Fair he didn’t want to frame them as a “transgression.” He stressed that he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that “these two men are taking the risk of being sexual” in a pre-progressive era.

“Ben wrote it in a way where there was no hesitation, no moment of fear. For me, the sex scene is when Lionel is walking around David’s apartment the morning after [their first encounter], and he’s smelling everything and sitting everywhere,” he explained. “He’s absorbing the energy of this person.”

Mescal added: “There is a kind of real sense of companionship, and the joy and loss that comes with the presence and absence of that. It’s not just about sex and the intensity of falling in love. It’s deeper than that.”

The History of Sound will premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the Palme d’Or.

The historical drama also stars Chris Cooper (Little Women), Molly Price (Third Watch), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), Hadley Robinson (Moxie), Emma Canning (Dune: Prophecy), Brianna Middleton (The Inheritance) and Gary Raymond (The Cedar Tree).

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Dylan O’Brien has spoken about his deep appreciation for the LGBTQIA+ people in his life, especially his trans sibling.

Later this year, O’Brien stars in the highly anticipated queer drama Ponyboi, led by River Gallo as a young intersex sex worker and laundromat employee who is forced to confront his past after a botched drug deal sends him on the run.

O’Brien plays Vinny, a sleazy drug dealer having an affair with Ponyboi—unbeknownst to his pregnant girlfriend and Ponyboi’s best friend, Angel, played by The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Victoria Pedretti.

The cast also includes Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) as an alluring cowboy who helps Ponyboi navigate New Jersey’s underworld in search of freedom, and Indya Moore (Pose) as Charlie.

In an interview with Vulture, which also featured Gallo, Pedretti, Moore, and director Esteban Arango, O’Brien said it was important for him to be involved as an ally.

The Teen Wolf star added: “I have a trans, nonbinary sibling and I know people in my personal life as well who are queer, and I am so grateful for how much it deepens my experience in this world.”

O’Brien’s sibling, Julz O’Brien, is trans-masc and uses he/they pronouns. On Instagram, Julz frequently shares family photos—including with O’Brien, whom they’ve described as their “very first best friend”—and often expresses pride in being part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

 

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In a separate interview with Adobe, O’Brien discussed Gallo’s experience growing up “not really seeing anyone like them on screen,” and called Ponyboi “tremendous” for representing such a marginalised and underrepresented community.

“Going in, I was extremely uneducated on intersex and the intersex community,” he added. “This was such an enlightening experience to me and [River is] someone that I hold so dearly to me now that I’ll have with me for the rest of my life as a friend.”

Ahead of Ponyboi’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2024, Gallo released a statement calling it a “dream come true to have written, starred and produced” their first feature film.

“Girl, Ponyboi prevailed. I couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible cast and crew who became my Ponyboi family and made this movie a reality,” they said.

“From the bottom of [my] heart, I cannot thank everyone who touched this film enough, especially our fearless director @esteban_arango who bravely and boldly ran with me on this journey with a wild heart.

“We made this movie for the intersex baddies, dolls, misfits, and outsiders, and for it to finally be out in the world is nothing less than revolutionary.”

Following its Sundance debut, Ponyboi received critical acclaim for Gallo’s writing and performance, as well as for O’Brien’s unexpected shift into darker, more dramatic territory—showcasing a new side of his acting range.

Ponyboi hits cinemas from 27 June via Fox Entertainment Studios and Gathr.

This year will also see the release of another LGBTQIA+ project from O’Brien: Twinless. Written, directed, produced by and starring James Sweeney, the film follows two young men who meet at a support group for people who have lost a twin. As they bond over their shared grief, they form an intense and unlikely connection.

Set for theatrical release on 5 September, Twinless premiered at Sundance in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category, where it won the Audience Award.

The film received overwhelming praise, earning a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics applauding Sweeney and O’Brien’s performances and praising the film’s blend of, in the words of The Hollywood Reporter, “dry humor, gutting devastation, and emotional poignancy.”

Visit here for more information on Twinless.

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