Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann have signed on to a new film called “Rock The Boat” for director Luke Greenfield (“Let’s Be Cops”). The plans are for a woman-driven, R-rated comedy that takes its premise from the real-life phenomenon of famous ’90s boy bands performing reunion shows on luxury cruise lines. The story will involve Wilson, Mann and two other characters taking a “girls trip” cruise together to see their favorite childhood group sing and dance one more time. From this film we would like to see the following: Newly out Wilson playing a queer character and some major appearances from real-life boy bands. Yes, we want a full — FULL — N’SYNC reunion and we want Boyz II Men and we want… well, we don’t know who else we want, but if you can’t top the Backstreet Boys-in-heaven finale of “This is The End” then what are we even doing? Principal photography is scheduled to begin in January 2023.
John Waters will finally direct a new movie
We’ve been longing for this moment: John Waters is going to direct a new film for Village Roadshow Pictures. After 2004’s “A Dirty Shame,” we hoped he’d make his long-gestating Christmas movie, “Fruitcake,” that he’d spoken about from time to time. When the funding didn’t happen, he kept busy on hilarious speaking tours, enjoying the passive income of “Hairspray” stage productions and writing books, like his recent novel, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.” Now that novel is going to be his next film, and we’re ready. It follows a woman named Marsha Sprinkle, a scammer, a master of disguise and all-around bad news. In other words, she’s our kind of John Waters heroine. This is fresh news, there’s no cast yet, and we don’t know how long we have to wait for it. But there’s a deal, Waters was quoted as saying he’s ready to spread “demented joy,” and we’re lighting candles to saints Divine and Edith Massey to keep it on track.
Jared Leto as Karl Lagerfeld — why not?
From House of Gucci to House of Lagerfeld, Jared Leto is making it fashion again. He’s co-producing, alongside members of Karl Lagerfeld’s creative team, a biopic about the life of the legendary German fashion designer, who became internationally famous when he stepped in to revive the Chanel label in the 1980s. The idiosyncratic designer’s life — he died at age 85 in 2019 — was, as one might guess, glittery and full of famous friends, so a biopic could go in any number of directions. As Leto’s production company searches for a director to take on the project, the storyline is still strictly confidential, and so far all we know is that Leto will play Lagerfeld. This makes us happy, because after the actor’s wild “House of Gucci” performance where he competed for scene-stealing-status with Gaga’s outfits, and the wacky-bad “Morbius,” we’re more or less ready for him to do anything. And it seems like he will.
‘Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day’ serenades NewFest
Already seen “Bros” and “Fire Island?” Waiting for what’s next? Well, the queer Egyptian film from director Mohammad Shawky Hassan, “Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day,” has already scored acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival, and this month it hits New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival, NewFest. Hassan’s musical love story is set to a soundtrack of Egyptian pop and based on his own diary, Shakespeare’s sonnets and folktales from Scheherazade’s “One Thousand and One Nights,” as the spirits of former lovers and Scheherazade sing about polyamory and Grindr and other very queer topics. And perhaps not surprisingly, it’s already being condemned by Egyptian authorities, which means we feel a strong responsibility to spread the word and buy tickets to this song-filled sexual adventure. Keep it on your radar when it pops up at queer film festival or arthouse cinema near you.
Romeo San Vicente identifies most with Kathleen Turner in “Serial Mom.”