Summer is around the corner, and with it comes a slew of bright and shiny new pop culture treats. We’re in the season of new movies, new albums, new tours and new TV. And it’s an absolute treat and a delight!
If you’re having trouble keeping up with it all though, fear not! Every week in “The Buzz” we catch you up on the comings and goings of the queer culture machine, from can’t miss celebrity interviews to hot new trailers and Coachella recaps.
Here’s what you missed this week in queer and trans pop culture.
→ It turns out that when your movie is written by a transphobe and marred by production issues, it may not end up being all that successful.
This past weekend Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opened below box office expectations, bringing in a paltry $43 million over its first three days in North America. That may sound like a lot of money, but it’s the lowest opening weekend for any Harry Potter film and well below expectations for the more than $200 million it cost to make.
Why did the third Fantastic Beasts (and 10th Harry Potter-adjacent) film flop? A combination of factors, many of them to do with the franchise’s fraught relationship with the LGBTQ2S+ community.
First and foremost is the continued attachment of Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. Rowling co-wrote the film, and walked the red carpet for its premiere a few weeks ago. But the author continues to be the queen of anti-trans discourse online, doubling down (and doubling down again) on sharing anti-trans hate.
Secrets of Dumbledore was also supposed to be the moment where the franchise finally makes explicit the long-simmering homosexuality of the character of Dumbledore. That big moment ended up being more of a whimper than a bang, however, relegated to two throwaway lines so insignificant they were easily edited out for the film’s release in China.
Pair both of those issues with other franchise problems with casting, budget and production and you’ve got a recipe for a flop. While there were originally plans for a fourth and fifth movie in the franchise, those are reportedly now on hold due to the litany of issues surrounding the tentpole.
Perhaps it’s time for Hollywood to leave Hogwarts to the fanfiction writers and move on from this mess.
→ Coachella happened this weekend! In relevant news for the gays, we got new songs from Phoebe Bridgers and Carly Rae Jepsen, plus an iconic collab between unlikely duo Harry Styles and Shania Twain.
Also Bridgers and Arlo Parks came together and it absolutely slapped.
→ Kristen Stewart is going to play the lesbian lover of a female bodybuilder in a new film and I’m already sweating just thinking about it.
→ Our first look at the A League Of Their Own reboot series is here with some classic (and very dykey) baseball card promos. The series premieres later this year.
→ Speaking of first looks, we finally got a glimpse of the new Queer as Folk reboot, which debuts on Peacock June 9.
→ Stephanie Hsu spoke to Them. about her role in the excellent Everything Everywhere All at Once and crafting a nuanced queer character amidst the influx of homophobic legislation in the U.S.
“People are so uncomfortable with queerness and even just homosexuality that they’re taking that word away from people. What I love about this movie is that [queerness] also exists in the texture and is almost subtle in a way, where I feel like a lot of people are going to feel very seen and safe to be themselves and love who they love inside a movie theatre, and simultaneously there may be people in their state who are trying to take that away from them, which is freaking crazy,” she said. “I really want every theatre in Florida to show this movie for so many reasons.”
→ Netflix has a super queer new romance series debuting this week called Heartstopper, based on the graphic novel series of the same name.
→ RuPaul’s Drag Race UK standout Bimini was featured in British GQ this week, talking about being booked and busy, transition and what comes next.
→ Encanto star and bisexual icon Stephanie Beatriz stopped by Nicole Byer’s podcast Why Won’t You Date Me to talk about dating, bisexual erasure and all sorts of fun stuff.
→ Also in podcast land: Gender Reveal is back for another season! The new season of the podcast, which spotlights conversations about transness, gender and identity, premiered this week with a conversation with trans comedian River Butcher.
→ The trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder dropped Monday and features a fleeting glimpse of Tessa Thompson’s reportedly bisexual Valkyrie.
→ Newly minted Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose is set to star in and produce in the new film Two and Only, described as My Best Friend’s Wedding with a bisexual Latinx POV.
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