The GLAAD Wrap: 'Orange is the New Black' picked up for three more seasons, new music from Elton John, and more!
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) Last weekend, the winners were announced for the 32nd Annual Sundance Film Festival. The NEXT Audience Award was given to First Girl I Loved. The film follows a budding high school love story between Anne and Sasha. As You Are, which follows three sexually fluid best friends in the early 1990s, picked up the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize. Spa Night‘s star Joe Seo won the U.S. Dramatic Breakthrough Performance Award. All three are still seeking distribution.
2) Out writer/director Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee, American Horror Story and most recently American Crime story has launched Half, a new foundation working towards promoting diversity behind the camera in Hollywood. Murphy plans to have at least half of the director slots on his shows filled by women, people of color, and/or members of the LGBT community by the end of 2016. Half will also begin reaching out to film schools around the country to recruit young people, connecting them with mentors and internships in the industry. Out producers Nina Jacobson and Ali Adler have also signed on to Half’s outreach.
3) Netflix has ordered three more seasons of hit original series Orange is the New Black on the heels of the cast’s SAG Awards win. This puts the series on air through 2019, season four premieres June 17 on Netflix. ABC has ordered a comedy pilot from The Mindy Project’s Ed Weeks and out Peep Show producer Hannah Mackay. The pilot tells the story of “an unapologetic lesbian and her best friend, a neurotic straight male” in this single camera comedy about codependent friendship and navigating the dating world. It is one of five comedy pilots ordered by ABC.
4) In other TV news, out actress Emily Rios (best known for FX’s The Bridge) has been cast in the A&E pilot The Infamous. Rios will portray a rookie LA police officer right before the LA riots dealing with patrolling the South Central neighborhood where she grew up. Out director Paris Barclay has signed on to direct and executive produce FOX’s drama pilot, Pitch, about a female player in major league baseball. Out director Lee Daniels is set to direct a documentary on the history of New York’s iconic Apollo Theater.
5) Elton John releases his 32nd album, Wonderful Crazy Night, today. He has said of the album, “I want it to feel joyous from beginning to end.” He released a video for the single “In the Name of You” last week, Wonderful Crazy Night is now available worldwide.
6) Los Angeles residents can see out comedian Tig Notaro hosting Audible Impact, a show of “music and activism” from The Grammy Museum and The Ally Coalition. The show will feature both musical and comedic performances, and all proceeds will go to Safe Place for Youth. The show is Tuesday February 16th at the Grammy Museum at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now.
7) The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield has been cast in the London National Theater’s production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. Garfield will play the lead role of Prior Walter, a gay man recently diagnosed with AIDS who has an encounter with an Angel. The Pulitzer and Tony Awarding winning show will begin it’s run in spring of 2017.
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