As a Florida native, and considering what has occurred here during the reign of the current governor, was that in any way what appealed to you about directing and co-adapting the screenplay for “Red, White & Royal Blue”? It was real.īLADE: Ellen is a staunch Democrat. I mean, it was a very lovely, warm environment on set every day, but that day you can just see in that scene the genuine affection that these two actors have for one another. It was the loveliest, warmest environment on set. By the time we shot it, she and Taylor had really bonded, and they had shot a lot of scenes together at that point. She was really wanting to understand this woman holistically. I involved her in a lot of costume design decisions. She and I had so many wonderful conversations about her before production. She was so very happy to be in this movie, which was so wonderful. I think that kind of specificity is what people are really desiring these days.īLADE: There are some powerful and emotional scenes in “Red, White & Royal Blue,” but the one that hit me the hardest is when Alex, son of the first female POTUS, came out to his mother Ellen, played by Uma Thurman. We never tried to hide who we were in order to find an audience. We want as many people to see this movie as possible, but we also knew that we wanted to make a movie that was as specific as possible. It is inescapable, but it also is, we hope, if we’re successful and if we’re lucky, it becomes part of the larger canon of rom coms, rather than simply kept in a corner. It is part of what makes this movie unique. This is as unapologetically a queer rom com as “Moonstruck” was as unapologetically an Italian rom com. I don’t see any reason why the stream doesn’t flow in both directions. I’ve spent a lifetime as an avid consumer of straight love stories, and not just because I had no other options, but because I genuinely wanted to see any of those particular films. Do you think the actors could have the same draw on straight audiences? I’d do it again if they let me.īLADE: With actors such as Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine in the lead roles of First Son Alex and Prince Henry, “Red, White & Royal Blue” will have no trouble drawing gay men. But it was mostly thrilling, and it was great fun, really. I was acutely aware of the things I didn’t know, and on occasion, there were things I didn’t know I didn’t know until I had to know it, at the risk of sounding like Donald Rumsfeld. But it was only daunting in that there was just a steep learning curve. MATTHEW LOPEZ: Generally thrilling, occasionally daunting. Matthew generously made time in his busy schedule for an interview in advance of the movie’s release, which premiered last week on Prime Video.īLADE: Matthew, considering your long and lauded history in the theater, was the prospect of directing your first feature film daunting, thrilling, or both? “Red, White & Royal Blue” marks the directorial debut by Tony and GLAAD Media Award-winning gay playwright Matthew López (“The Inheritance” and “Some Like It Hot”). So, does “Red, White & Royal Blue” have what it takes to stand apart from the pack? Based on the popular novel by queer writer Casey McQuiston, “Red, White & Royal Blue” isn’t just notable for its storyline involving the budding romance between Alex, the bisexual First Son of the first female POTUS, and gay British Prince Henry. There is even a preponderance of gay Christmas movies. These days, it seems that gay rom coms are as prevalent as right-wing religious fanatics protesting said movies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |