News

Cole Escola is departing their smash hit Broadway comedy Oh, Mary!

The 38-year-old star, who penned the comedy, will bow out from the Mary Todd Lincoln role beginning on January 21, 2025, Deadline confirmed.

Betty Gilpin will take over the role for a limited 8-week engagement.

Keep reading to find out more…

She will begin her run from Tuesday, January 21, 2025, through Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Oh, Mary! also just announced a new block of tickets for the play are on sale through Saturday, June 28, 2025. The person playing Mary from late March through June has not yet been made public.

Betty Gilpin will replace Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln

Oh, Mary! has sold out weekly, becoming the first and so far only show of the season to recoup its investment, with its weekly box office usually topping $1 million.

Here’s the synopsis: “Oh, Mary!, directed by Sam Pinkleton, stars Escola as a miserable, suffocated...

Oh, Mary! without Cole Escola? As it turns out, yes. The Broadway hit comedy, which recently became the first production of the season to recoup its production cost, will have a new Mary Todd Lincoln beginning January 21 when Glow actor Betty Gilpin will take over the role for a limited 8-week engagement.

Gilpin’s engagement runs from Tuesday, January 21, 2025, through Sunday, March 16, 2025. Interestingly, Oh, Mary! also announced today that a new block of tickets for the play are on sale through Saturday, June 28, 2025. So who will play Mary from late March through June? Stay tuned.

While no mention was made in today’s announcement of Escola’s plans, in previous interviews they have expressed interest in writing new work that they would not necessary act in. That said, with a recent Tony eligibility ruling that Escola, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronounces, would be eligible in the Best...

Betty Gilpin will take over the lead role in Oh, Mary! on Broadway this winter.

Gilpin, an Emmy nominee for her role in Netflix’s Glow, takes over the role of Mary Todd Lincoln from Cole Escola starting Jan. 21 for an eight-week run through March 16. The play has also released a new block of tickets, extending the Broadway run through at least June 28, 2025.

Escola wrote the play and has starred in the show since its off-Broadway run, which began in January 2024. The play, directed by Sam Pinkleton, reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a petulant, wannabe cabaret star dreaming to get away from her husband and the White House. Since opening on Broadway in July 2024, the show has been selling out and has broken the box office record at the Lyceum Theatre 10 times.

In addition to her role as Debbie Eagan/Liberty Belle in Glow, Gilpin starred opposite Shailene Woodley in...

Oh, Mary!, the Cole Escola hit Broadway comedy that last summer became the first show in the 121-year history of the Lyceum Theatre to gross more than $1 million in a single week, has recouped its entire production cost, producers announced today.

Capitalized at $4,525,000, Oh, Mary!, directed by Sam Pinkleton, is the first show of the 2024-2025 Broadway season to announce its recoupment. The recoupment announcement was made today by producers Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia.

Escola wrote and stars in Oh, Mary! The comedy, depicting Mary Todd Lincoln as a miserable, hard-drinking cabaret-star-wannabe in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, also features Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant.

Since its opening on July 11 at the Lyceum, Oh, Mary! has broken its own box office record nine times,...

Oh,Mary! has recouped its $4.525 million Broadway capitalization.

The play, written by and starring Cole Escola, has recouped its Broadway production costs, after opening at the Lyceum Theatre on July 11. The production has broken its own box office record nine times, including last week, when it brought in just above $1.2 million, with an average ticket price of $171.32.

In Oh Mary!, Escola reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln as a wannabe cabaret star, railing against her life in the White House and against wishes of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln.

In addition to breaking box office records, the comedy has also brought in celebrity guests, including former first lady Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett on Saturday afternoon, as well as Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, Bowen Yang, Anne Hathaway, Andrew Garfield, Jennifer Aniston and Madonna (as well as Lincoln’s Steven Spielberg, Sally Field and Tony Kushner during the Off-Broadway run).

Escola landed on...

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Murder Mindfully is a German dark comedy crime thriller series written by Karsten Dusse, Doron Wisotzky, Michael Kenda, and Anneke Janssen. Based on the bestselling 2024 book of the same name by author Karsten Dusse, the Netflix series follows Björn Diemel, a down-and-out top-flight lawyer who goes to a mindfulness retreat and suddenly becomes a murderer and mastermind for the mob. Murder Mindfully stars Tom Schilling, Emily Cox, Michael Ihnow, Sascha Alexander Gersak, Amer El-Erwadi, and Viktoria Schreiber. So, if you loved the dark comedy the dark comedy, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Murder Mindfully here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Dexter Credit – Showtime

Dexter is a psychological crime thriller dark comedy series created by James Manos Jr. Based on the 2004 novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by author Jeff Lindsay, the Showtime series follows Dexter Morgan,...

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Sweetpea is a dark comedy crime drama series created by Kirstie Swain. Based on the 2017 book of the same name by author Cj Skuse, the Starz series follows Rhiannon, a young woman with a traumatic past leading a quiet life working as an admin assistant at a local newspaper but a chance encounter with a complete stranger turns her life upside down. Sweetpea stars Fallout‘s Ella Purnell in the lead role with Nicôle Lecky, Jon Pointing, Leah Harvey, Jeremy Swift, and Dustin Demri-Burns starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the dark comedy, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Sweetpea here are some similar shows you should check out next.

You (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

You is a psychological crime thriller drama series developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble. Based on the...

Cole Escola’s hit Broadway comedy Oh, Mary! is extending its record-breaking run at the Lyceum Theatre by two months, and will now play through January 19, 2025.

The first show in the 121-year history of the Lyceum to gross more than $1 million in a single week, the critically acclaimed Oh, Mary! has surpassed its own house records for four consecutive weeks. The play’s highest weekly gross to date was $1,105,634.50 for the week ending September 8.

Following a twice-extended Off Broadway run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway July 11 and was initially scheduled to run through September 15. The first of its two extensions pushed the closing date to November 10.

Directed by Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! stars Escola (in their Broadway debut) as a miserable, suffocated and heavy-drinking Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The production also features Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband,...

Oh, Mary!, a sleeper hit if ever there was one, and The Outsiders, a musical so popular that more than 200 people bought tickets last week knowing they wouldn’t get an actual seat, are continuing what can only be described as blazing hot summers.

Consider Oh, Mary!, writer/actor Cole Escola’s campy, hysterically funny period play (flawlessly directed by Sam Pinkleton) about an alcoholic, off-the-rails Mary Todd Lincoln (that would be Escola), her doomed, sneaky gay president husband (Conrad Ricamora) and an amorous acting teacher (James Scully). It was a hit last year Off Broadway, but that certainly doesn’t always translate to Broadway success.

But this time, it did. Oh, Mary! has been selling out for weeks, and has been pulling in more than $1 million a week since July 21. Last week (the week ending August 4) Oh, Mary!, a smallish play with a cast of five and a set that,...

Broadway’s smash hit Oh, Mary! has announced a nearly two-month extension following rave reviews. Initially set to close September 15, Cole Escola’s comedy will now perform at the Lyceum Theatre through November 10.

The twice-extended Off Broadway campy comedy transferred to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre July 11 after beginning previews July 26.

It was also announced today that Oh, Mary! has broken the all-time box office record at the Lyceum Theatre, grossing $1.05 million for the week ending July 21, besting the record held by 2022 Tony Award-winning best musical A Strange Loop.

Written by and starring Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! stars Escola as, according to the synopsis, “a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this one act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of...

Queer alt-comedy in the vein of Oh, Mary! seldom makes it to Broadway, so the arrival of Cole Escola’s downtown theatrical sensation at the Lyceum is cause for Big Gay Jubilation. But if that makes this blissfully absurd rethink of a key moment in American history sound like niche entertainment showing up late for Pride Month, don’t be deceived. It’s hard to imagine anyone with a sense of humor not joining the infectious laughter sparked by Escola’s gut-bustingly funny antics, reimagining Mary Todd Lincoln as an alcoholic cabaret artiste manqué, married to a president struggling to keep the closet door shut.

Escola has been a scene-stealer on TV series including Difficult People, Search Party and At Home With Amy Sedaris (there are no words for how much I miss that show), frequently doubling as a writer. The nonbinary actor has said in interviews that since theater...

There’s funny, there’s very funny, and then there’s Oh, Mary!, Cole Escola’s riotous new comedy that brings more laughs to Broadway than all the Gutenberg!s, Edelmans and Birbiglias combined. You can throw in Shucked for good measure.

Escola, low-key famous these last few years through YouTube videos, late night appearances and gigs for TV’s The Other Two and Difficult People, ups the career stakes immensely with Oh, Mary!, opening tonight at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. With nods and hints to Charles Busch, the late, great and forever Ridiculous Everett Quinton, the Sedaris siblings, Carol Burnett, Pee-wee Herman and Absolutely Fabulous, Escola squeezes just enough juice from their influences for a mix that is entirely fresh and not to be missed.

Following its acclaimed and sold-out Off Broadway engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Oh, Mary!, directed by Sam Pinkleton without so much as a split second wasted,...

It’s almost time to head back to Westeros as the second season of “House of the Dragon” premieres on Max and HBO on Sunday, June 16. The epic prequel series to “Game of Thrones” will air new episodes in HBO’s premier window on Sunday night through Aug. 4. Also hitting the service in June will be the comedy special from “Hacks” star “Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go” and the motel-renovation series “Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home.”

Also coming to Max via the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On will be United States Men’s and Women’s soccer games, the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, Major League Baseball games, and potentially the conclusions of the NBA and NHL conference championship slates. Don’t miss any of the sports action and streaming premieres of the best prestige and unscripted titles on Max. The streamer offers three monthly subscription plans ranging from ad-supported...

Jay Alvarez’s “Something’s More Than One Thing,” executive produced by the Russo Brothers, has unveiled its first trailer.

The film will have its world premiere at the 32nd Raindance Film Festival in London, where it is also nominated for the Spirit of Raindance Award. It stars comic Devan Costa, Alex Sgambati (“The Walking Dead”), James Scully (“You”), César-winning actor and musician Soko (“In the Beginning”) and longtime Alvarez collaborator, Will Hand (“I Play With the Phrase Each Other”).

Styled as a contemporary satire, the ensemble cast of over 300 actors aims to portray the multifaceted nature of online life, exploring modern-day dating and hyperconnected existence.

The plot follows Caitlin and her boyfriend Dylan, whose relationship unravels after a disturbing revelation. Seeking advice online, they encounter conflicting guidance — Dylan delves into the manosphere (online communities discussing men’s rights and masculinity) while Caitlin faces online mobs demanding the relationship’s end.

Oh, Mary! is heading to Broadway this summer after a sold-out run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in downtown New York City.

Cole Escola wrote the play and stars “as a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this one act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot.”

The show also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, with Hannah Solow and Peter Smith completing the cast.

Performances begin on June 26 at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway with an official opening night set for July 11. The limited 12-week engagement is set to end on September 15.

Tickets are on sale now!

Oh, Mary!, the Off-Broadway comedy hit about Mary Todd Lincoln, is transferring to Broadway for a 12-week engagement this summer.

The show, written by and starring Cole Escola as Mary, will begin previews at the Lyceum Theatre starting June 26, with an opening night on July 11. The engagement runs through Sept. 15.

In Oh Mary!, Mary Todd Lincoln is reimagined as a wannabe cabaret star, filled with yearning for that other life, in the weeks leading up to President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The show also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, otherwise known as Abraham Lincoln, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher, Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone, and Tony Macht as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant, as well as cast members Hannah Solow and Peter Smith.

The show is critically acclaimed and has proven popular off-Broadway, after selling out its first run and extending twice at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

The sold-out, twice-extended Off Broadway comedy Oh, Mary! will transfer to Broadway this summer, producers announced today.

Written by and starring Cole Escola and directed by Sam Pinkleton, the play will begin previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre on June 26 ahead of a July 11 opening night. The limited 12-week engagement will run through September 15.

Producers Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia announced the move. The dark comedy currently is playing at the Lucille Lortel Theatre Off Broadway.

Oh, Mary! stars Escola as, according to the synopsis, “a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this one act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (Escola).” The show also stars Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband, James Scully as Mary’s Teacher,...

Ripley is a psychological crime-thriller series written and directed by Steven Zaillian. Based on a 1955 novel titled The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, the Netflix series is set in the 1960s and it follows the story of Ripley as a wealthy man hires him to convince his son to come back home from Italy. However, when Ripley gets there he gets jealous of the oppulant life the wealthy man’s son is leading and decides to take it for himself. The novel by Highsmith was adapted once before into a film written and directed by Anthony Minghella, and it starred Matt Damon as the titular character. Ripley stars Andrew Scott in the lead role with Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner, and Maurizio Lombardi starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved Zaillian’s take on The Talented Mr. Ripley, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Nearly a year since it premiered at SXSW, Julio Torres’ “Problemista” finally had its New York City premiere at the Village East by Angelika on Tuesday, February 27. His A24 satire stars Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini, James Scully, Greta Lee, and RZA, to name a few. On the red carpet, producer Emma Stone, alongside fellow producers Dave McCary and Ali Herting, even made a surprise appearance.

“She was very happy to do it,” Julio Torres said of getting Tilda Swinton involved as his co-lead. “She was a little worried about playing an American, then we talked and she didn’t have to be American. She found this creature, we don’t know where she came from. Like a dragon, she emerged from a cave.”

Tilda Swinton was visibly very excited to be in Manhattan in support of this project. “Julio sent me [the script] and asked me to come play with him,” the Oscar winner said.

Emma Stone and husband Dave McCary are stepping out for the premiere of Problemista, which they co-produced!

The couple joined star, director, and writer Julio Torres along with fellow cast members Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini, James Scully, Spike Einbinder, Larry Owens, Kelly McCormack, and Laith Nakli at the movie’s premiere on Tuesday evening (February 27) held at the Village East Cinema in New York City.

Fellow producer Ali Herting also joined Emma and Dave on the red carpet.

Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the synopsis: “Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream.”

It was recently announced that Emma will be reuniting with Poor Things and...

You will probably laugh the first time Alejandro (Julio Torres) walks though the frame in Problemista, seemingly bouncing off the ground before gliding across it, almost as if he were walking on eggshells—or paintings of them. (More on those in a bit.) Which makes sense, given that this aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who’s looking for a co-signer for his visa so that he can remain in the United States is very wary of angering the powers that be who are holding him back from his dreams in both visible and invisible ways.

But somewhere around the fourth or fifth time that Torres performs this dormouse shimmy in his feature-length directorial debut, the gag lapses into the grating. What initially scans as a reflection of a young man’s existential fear of disrupting the order of the universe becomes a literalization of how Torres tentatively circles his...

A24 has set March 1 for the limited release of the Julio Torres-directed feature Problemista, with the title going wide on March 22. A special video release announcement featuring Torres and his co-star Tilda Swinton can be found above.

The feature was originally set to premiere in August but was delayed due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton in ‘Problemista’

The surreal adventure Problemista follows Alejandro (Torres), an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast Elizabeth (Swinton) becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. Problemista is described as a surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system.

A four-time Emmy nominee, Torres directed from his own script,...

Conrad Ricamora and James Scully will be working on another project together!

The two actors starred in the 2022 romantic comedy movie Fire Island, which is now streaming on Hulu. They will soon reunite on stage in the Off-Broadway play Oh, Mary!, opening in New York City later this month.

Keep reading to find out more…

Oh, Mary! is a “ridiculous dark comedy starring Cole Escola as a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism and suppressed desires abound in this one act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot.”

The limited eight-week engagement begins previews on Friday, January 26, 2024 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre ahead of a February 8, 2024 opening night, with performances running through March 24, 2024.

Conrad will play Mary’s Husband and James will star as Mary’s Teacher.

Exclusive: Married actors Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Mark Menchaca (Ozark) have been set to star in Long Pork, a revenge thriller short helmed by up-and-comer Iris Dukatt, who also wrote the screenplay.

Produced by Madhouse Films, the rising female led-production company founded by Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman, as well as Elizabeth Valenti, the film takes place in a future post-Roe America where all reproductive rights have been banned. Headey plays Lily Williams, master chef at the renowned Foal’s Steakhouse, who lost her only daughter to forced birth under the federal ban. When Lily learns that Philip Anderson (Menchaca), the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s abortion request, is coming to dine at Foal’s, she enlists her team of cooks to exact bloody revenge, setting the stage for revolution.

Also starring in the pic, intended as a proof of concept for a feature, include Catherine Curtin,...

The live-action Titans series had tremendous potential, from its source material to the pedigrees of the talent bringing the heroes to television. Titans failed to work from the first episode to the last. As a television series, it needed a bigger budget for better effects, and the caliber of actors needed to be stronger to pull off these larger-than-life personalities.

Most of the storylines were drawn from Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s seminal run from the early 1980s or the early issues from Geoff Johns and Mike McKone’s run in the 2000s. Both required a consistent tonality along with a budget to make the scope of the stories work.

In the fourth and final series, out now on disc from Warner Home Entertainment, the series tackled both Lex Luthor and Brother Blood. Either one could easily have been the Big Bad for these last dozen episodes, but they split the focus and,...

There is much that is lovely to gaze upon in the elegantly tailored documentary “Invisible Beauty,” about fashion maverick Bethann Hardison, whose role in her industry, starting in the late ’60s and continuing into the present, has been remarkable personally and game-changing culturally.

Those five decades — hers and the industry’s — are expertly woven together by co-directors Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng, using a cache of personal photos, a wealth of archival images, clips and interviews sewn together by Hardison’s sharing of recollections and insights. The film is also buoyed by a delicate, sometimes moody piano-led score courtesy of Marc Anthony Thompson, with some additionally vivid musical choices that match the energy of the late, “Black is Beautiful” ’60s and the fashion-fast-forward ’70s.

When there were shifts in how the fashion industry viewed models of color, Hardison was there as participant but more often catalyst. She was one...

For most of Hollywood’s history, the romantic comedy genre has been dominated by straight, heteronormative storytelling that caters to the most simplistic common denominator in society. Rom-coms are often popcorn flicks that create a fantasy between a man and a woman that isn’t hard to understand, yet they rarely make people think about deeper themes or diverse representations.

Enter the LGBTQ+ rom-com. As progressive thinking has become more accepted, filmmakers, studios, and distributors have gotten more comfortable with giving queer people a vision for their own lives with stories that look a little more like their own. LGBTQ+ rom-coms often give non-straight identifying people a chance to feel normal and loved, and at other times they are the same sappy happenstance stories that their straight counterparts are famous for. Either way, LGBTQ+ rom-coms are very much in vogue. Here are the best ones you need to watch right now!

Silas House, the poet laureate of Kentucky, was on a car ride with Tyler Childers when the songwriter pressed play on a new song he’d recorded called “In Your Love.” House was floored by what he heard. But then Childers made a request: Would House — an acclaimed author whose first novel, 2001’s Clay’s Quilt, had helped shape Childers’ appreciation for their shared home state —write a particular storyline for the song’s music video?

“He said he would like to have it be a gay love story, mainly...

Tyler Childers has announced his new album, Rustin’ in the Rain, out September 8th via Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records. As a preview, he’s shared the lead single, “In Your Love.” Stream it below.

“This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis,” Childers explained in a statement. “Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.” Pre-orders are ongoing.

Meanwhile, “In Your Love” arrives with a music video that was written by the current Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Silas House, who came up with the story idea with Jason Kyle Howard. The Bryan Schlam-directed clip depicts the...

“Problemista” has hit a problem with its theatrical release.

Distributor A24 has officially delayed the August 4 premiere of Julio Torres’ film, which debuted at 2023 SXSW. A new release date will be determined later; the news comes after Amazon pushed back Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and Lionsgate delayed the release of “White Bird.” Deadline first reported on the “Problemista” delay, which IndieWire confirmed.

Deadline first reported that A24 opted to release “Problemista” once the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved so writer/director/actor Torres and co-star Tilda Swinton could be available to do press promoting the indie film. The rollout was slated to begin with a limited release while Torres was doing a press tour with screenings and Q&As. The film will still play at a sold-out Outfest showcase on Saturday in Los Angeles.

“Problemista” follows Alejandro (Torres), an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who is struggling to bring...

Exclusive: In light of the current strikes, A24 is pausing the release of Julio Torres’ Problemista which was set to launch limited on Aug. 4. The new release date will be determined down the road. The studio is doing this to support filmmaker Torres, furthermore these awards-type indie movies need their stars, Tilda Swinton here, available to do press and raise such fare’s profile.

Problemista is the second August release after Lionsgate’s White Bird to move off its opening date; that pic originally scheduled for a limited release on Aug. 18. It’s obvious the SAG-AFTRA strike is having a more immediate upending impact than anticipated. Studios are able to pivot with these movies at the last minute as they do not have long-lead tentpole campaigns with big TV spends.

The movie made its world premiere out of SXSW where it notched 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Pic follows Alejandro (Torres...

Julio Torres, who has earned writing credits on over 60 episodes of Saturday Night Live and co-created the horror comedy series Los Espookys with Ana Fabrega and Fred Armisen, has made his directorial debut with the oddball comedy Problemista, which is set to receive a limited theatrical release from A24 on August 4th. A wide release will follow on August 25th. With those dates swiftly approaching, a new trailer for Problemista has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above.

Promising to take viewers on a “surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system”, Problemista has the following synopsis: Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only...

"Son, you're not getting deported." This is the story of Alejandro. A24 has revealed a second trailer for the indie comedy Problemista, marking the feature directorial debut of acclaimed comedian / actor / writer Julio Torres from El Salvador. This premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, and it will be in theaters starting in August - with a nationwide release on August 25th. Torres also stars as Alejandro - an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. The SXSW smash features Tilda Swinton, RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saaverdra, James Scully, and narrated by Isabella Rosselini. This trailer also features the original song "Huele a Fraude" by Ohyung and Stefa. This...

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced that more than 250 LGBTQ and ally actors, notables, and other leaders signed a public letter created by GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign (Hrc) calling on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter to better enforce hate speech, harassment, misinformation, and other existing content policies aimed at protecting transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming users and all LGBTQ people.

The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.

The celebrities, influencers, and prominent public figures include: Alyssa Milano, Alan Cumming, Alok, Amber Ruffin, Amy Landecker, Amy Schumer, Angelica Ross, Annaleigh Ashford, Ariana Grande, Arisce Wanzer, Avan Jogia, Barbie Ferreira, Bebe Rexha, Bella Ramsey, Ben Barnes, Benito Skinner, Bethany Cosentino, Billy Eichner, Billy Porter, Bobby Berk, Bretman Rock, Brian Michael Smith, Busy Philipps, Camila Cabello, Cara Delevingne, Chella Man, Cheyenne Jackson, Christa Miller, Chris Perfetti,...

When Joel Kim Booster first set out to write what would become “Fire Island,” he knew he wanted to write about the nearly decade long friendship he’s had with his co-star Bowen Yang. The two were connected by a mutual friend shortly after Booster moved to New York. “They couched it though in, ‘You know, there’s this other gay Asian comedian that you should know.’ Because that’s how it was presented to us, we were both sort of hesitant to meet because we didn’t want that person to be right,” he tells Gold Derby during our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video interview above).

But when the two did actually meet, the pair had an instant connection that came from shared experiences coming from marginalized communities. “It was very immediately apparent to both of us that we needed each other to a certain extent and we...

Everyone knows the world is full of wolves waiting to devour you whole. They lurk in the shadows, haunt your dreams, and salivate as they wait for you to stumble so they can make their move. Your only choice is to grow eyes in the back of your head, remain vigilant, and prepare yourself for what may come. In A24‘s Problemista trailer, a young man faces deportation unless he can rise above adversity and find a sponsor to help stave off the government hounds.

The Problemista trailer depicts a bizarre comedy, serving as the directorial debut of Los Espookys co-creator Julio Torres. In addition to directing the feature, Torres stars alongside Tilda Swinton as Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his ideas to life in New York City. Unfortunately for Alejandro, his work visa is about to expire. He must abandon his dream of...

“Why are you making everything so difficult?” Julio Torres asks Tilda Swinton in the trailer for the upcoming A24 comedy Problemista. That’s the central question in the film, which centers around his character’s struggle to achieve the American Dream.

In Problemista, Torres plays an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador named Alejandro who’s struggling to make it in New York City. As his work visa runs out, Alejandro’s job as an assistant to an erratic art world pariah named Elizabeth (Swinton) is his only hope to stay in the US.

The trailer shows Alejandro’s desperation to find someone to co-sign his visa, which leads him to ask Elizabeth to be his sponsor. She agrees in exchange for helping her curate an art exhibition, which sounds easy enough, but unfortunately, Alejandro still has to jump through hoops like paying “fees to earn money.”

One friend calls Elizabeth “a monster,...

"I mean, wait, this sucks so much for you?" A24 has unveiled an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Problemista, marking the feature directorial debut of acclaimed comedian / actor / writer Julio Torres from El Salvador. This premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, and it will be in theaters starting in August. Torres also stars as Alejandro - an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. From writer/director Julio Torres comes a surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system. Wow. The SXSW smash hit stars Julio Torres, with Tilda Swinton, RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saaverdra, James Scully,...

“Fire Island” is about to, uh, catch fire at this year’s Emmys. The telefilm, which aired on Hulu last June, is certain to be nominated for Best TV Movie and could well win that top honor. The flick follows a group of Lgbtqia+ friends who head to Fire Island Pines for their annual trip full of sex, fun, and drugs. But when their usual trip is disrupted, they have to make this final trip their best ever. Joel Kim Booster does double duty as both writer and star of this heartfelt film, which he loosely based on “Pride & Prejudice.” Andrew Ahn directs while Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers, Conrad Ricamora, and “Saturday Night Live” star Bowen Yang all costar.

Booster play Noah, who is out just for fun and frolic until he makes a promise to best friend Howie (Yang) that he won’t have sex again until Howie breaks his dry spell.

“Fire Island” could be on its way to getting some major Emmys recognition in the category for Best TV Movie. But if Emmy voters are willing to give the Hulu original some appreciation in that race, they should also be open to do it for other aspects of the movie, especially for Bowen Yang’s fantastic performance in Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor.

Yang portrays Howie, the best friend of the main character, Noah. He travels from San Francisco every year to join Noah and their friends for a week-long vacation on the titular island that has been a long-time staple of New York’s gay culture. Despite being 30, Howie has never been in a relationship and, unlike most of his other friends, hopes to find romance despite lacking confidence in himself. Things start looking up for him when he meets a hot pediatrician named Charlie (James Scully).

See‘Fire...

When I saw the poster for Problemista, a film that tackles issues of immigration, I wondered why Tilda Swinton — who stars — was on the poster. After seeing it, I now understand. Written and directed by Julio Torres, the movie takes on the U.S. immigration system and isolation, all packaged in a sweet surrealist bow. Alongside Torres, the film stars Swinton, Rza, Isabella Rossellini, Catalina Saaverdra and James Scully.

The movie begins with Alejandro (Torres) as a boy in El Salvador. He’s sitting in a field with his artist mother Delores (Saaverdra) drawing pictures. She shields him from the world by encouraging him to create safe spaces for himself, so the young boy retreats inward where he explores the boundaries of his wild imagination. As an adult, he lives in New York City with the goal to become a toy maker with Hasbro. The young man has tried many...

Half of the jokes in “Problemista” fell on deaf ears at the film’s SXSW world premiere, but not because the audience didn’t want to hear them. Rather, the Austin crowd covered up several lines of dialogue with howling laughter seemingly every other time writer-director-star Julio Torres opened his mouth as Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer in New York City doing his best not to get deported back to El Salvador.

Catalina Saavedra, who played Alejandro’s mother, Dolores, pointed out the uproar during the post-screening Q&a. When asked if it felt good to hear the reactions to the film, she joked that she didn’t get anything from it. Speaking in Spanish, she said that American audiences react that way to everything they see.

The movie did manage to slow down for its sweeter beats. During a particularly heartfelt sequence near the end of the film, Torres’ co-star Tilda Swinton,...

[The following story includes major spoilers for You season four.]

Joe Goldberg has not turned over a new leaf.

In fact, he’s been tricking You viewers as the unreliable narrator of the hit Netflix serial killer drama.

Part 2 of season four pulled off a major twist: Joe hasn’t exactly been himself this season. When returning after the Part 1 release with the final five episodes of the split season, the final moments of episode seven, “Good Man, Cruel World,” revealed that this season’s villain isn’t Rhys Montrose — it’s actually Joe (Penn Badgley).

When Joe is led to the real Rhys by Tom Lockwood (Greg Kinnear), the father of Joe’s season romance Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), You‘s resident stalker-murderer thinks he’s killing the man who has been tormenting him for the last few months. But in reality, Joe kills a man he’s never even met. In a series of flashbacks, the audience learns that...

Jenna Ortega may be ready to outrun Ghostface again this year, but Joe Goldberg still hasn’t forgotten about her.

After Ortega starred as Ellie Alves in “You” Season 2, showrunner Sera Gamble revealed the hit series was hoping to bring the character back for Season 4. Ellie was among the few of Joe Goldberg’s (Penn Badgley) confidantes to survive his friendship, and she is referenced in Season 3 as someone Joe still stays in contact with and sends money to.

However, Ortega leading fellow Netflix series “Wednesday” had some scheduling conflicts.

“We wanted to bring Ellie back and we heard, ‘Oh, Jenna is doing some show,'” Gamble told IndieWire. “It’s been just such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again.”

Plus, while Joe aka Jonathan Moore bonds with his student Nadia (breakout star Amy-Leigh Hickman...

We all have our favorite movies in any given year. The ones we raise up and champion with lofty titles like “Best Picture” or “Movie of the Year.” Sometimes in an attempt to claim that title we can even reach for consensus—or at least toward films we’re confident others have seen. However, there are times we each discover something that doesn’t have an obvious consensus. In fact, sometimes you can fall in love with a movie that it feels like nobody else in the world knows about.

Below is a collection of films that members of our staff feel that strongly about. They’re not the movies that wound up at the top of our poll for the best movies of 2022, but they’re movies that at least one of us thinks perhaps should… or that you should at least have heard about and have a chance to seek out.

As 2022 wraps up, the end of the year presents an opportunity to look back on how LGBTQ representation fared on the big screen. According to GLAAD’s 10th Annual Studio Responsibility Index, the percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films (as well as racial diversity and screen time for queer characters) dipped in 2021.

While this year’s official report has yet to be released, it appears to have recovered some ground. From theaters to streamers, it’s been an impressive year for LGBTQ flicks, from joyful summer rom-coms “Bros” and “Fire Island” to sobering dramas like “My Policeman” and “The Inspection.” That includes some of the most talked-about titles of awards season – “The Whale,” “Tár”, and “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” to name a few.

If you’re looking for your next themed binge of the holiday break, read on for the 11 best LGBTQ movies of 2022.

Also Read:

LGBTQ Representation in Hollywood Movies...

With the fall festivals behind us and Oscar nominations just around the corner, award season is officially in full swing. But for many, the official kickoff to the season will always be the Gotham Awards. One of the biggest early showcases for the year’s top independent films, the Gotham Awards are set to take place tonight at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. While only films with a budget under 35 million are eligible, the event is a key battleground for smaller films hoping to separate themselves from the field in their quest for Oscar gold.

If you’re interested in following the action from home, the event will be streamed live on YouTube beginning with red carpet coverage at 6 p.m. E.T. and the awards ceremony beginning at 7pm E.T. You can watch the stream here or in the video below courtesy of Variety.

The competition will be fierce,...

James Scully has had a string of excellent roles throughout his career.

He currently stars on Titans as Bernard. The latest episode featured a romantic twist for Bernard and Tim (Jay Lycurgo).

Check out our full interview with James below as he delves into working on the show, this new relationship, and more.

Could you speak a bit about what attracted you to Titans?

I was a big fan of the animated series when I was younger. It was probably like the first show where I felt I was waiting week to week to see the new episodes and was like googling, when is the next season going to be coming out?

I got the audition, and my people were like, is this something you would still want to do or be interested in? And when I read between the lines of where the character was going to go and...

While The Flash‘s Barry Allen & Co. have been known (though not recently!) to have fun times at S.T.A.R. Labs, the fact is that Titans‘ take on the research facility is just plain fun.

In the superhero team-up series’ Season 4 premiere on HBO Max this week, the Titans’ road trip to San Francisco made a pit stop at S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis, where Connor, alas, learned that his “dad” would not be able to make it to their first meeting, seeing as he was saving countless off-world lives.

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(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)

If there is one superhero show that has outlasted its expiration date, it may be "Titans." After three seasons, it seems the gritty affair will indefinitely struggle to land its lofty ambitions in a satisfying way. Despite some great ideas and themes, I've found myself wanting a lot more out of the series by the time the credits roll in each season finale. But here we are, another season is well on its way and approaching quicker than ever (or at least it feels like it).

Judging by the recent trailer, "Titans" may just be finding its stride in balancing zany superhero stuff and a horror-tinged storyline. However, I know what promises are worth. Expectations aren't sky-high this time around,...