Need a boost to get over Hump Day? The Hot Sheet is Queerty’s midweek pop culture catch-up, highlighting the entertainment stories everyone’s talking about, the ones you might’ve missed, and the notable LGBTQ+ film & TV releases in the days ahead. Here’s everything you need to stay in-the-know:
What To Watch This Week
- Diarra From Detroit, Season 2 — Streaming (Paramount+): Out actor Bryan Terrell Clark co-stars in this underrated comedy series about a school teacher pulled into a dark mystery.
- Leviticus — Now Available (VOD): In this Aussie indie horror, two teen boys are cursed to be stalked by an evil presence disguised as the one thing they most desire: each other.
- Mary Beth Barone: Galaxy Brain — Streaming (Netflix): The out bi comic, RIDE podcaster & Overcompensating star debuts her first-ever hour-long stand-up special.
- WHAM! 10 Days In China — Now Playing (Select Theaters): This doc looks back to 1985 when WHAM!, at peak fame, became the first Western pop group to ever perform in China.
- Drag Race México: Latina Royale — July 30 (WOW Presents Plus): Latina queens from all over—including RuGirls Alexis Mateo & Xunami Muse—compete in this worldwide drag gauntlet.
- Adults, Special Episode — July 31 (Hulu): Before Season 2, the comedy delivers a one-off prequel episode about how the group first met sexually fluid roomie Paul Baker (Jack Innanen).
- I Want Your Sex — July 31 (Select Theaters): New Queer Cinema auteur Gregg Araki’s kinky comedy about a provocative artist (Olivia Wilde) & her young new muse (Cooper Hoffman).
- Jimmy — July 31 (NYC Theaters): An imagined portrait of trailblazing queer writer & civil rights activist James Baldwin (played by Benny O. Arthur) as he travels through Paris in his youth.
- The Male Gaze: Courage Under Fire — Aug. 1 (VOD): The latest in this shorts anthology series contains rugby romance, love at the end of the world, and more global gay stories.
- Lioness, Season 3 — Aug. 2 (Paramount+): This gritty action series stars Oscar winners Zoe Saldaña & Nicole Kidman and a surprising sapphic love story that gets hot & heavy.
Culture Catch-Up
PUCK YEAH!: Is Justice Smith about to hit the ice? Gossip blog Deuxmoi alleges that production began on Season 2 of Heated Rivalry yesterday and that the out queer actor has joined the cast, possibly playing Harris Dover, who has a heated romance of his own in another of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books. [Attitude]
THE HIGH ROAD: After an embarrassing White House Correspondents Dinner 2.0, where a whiny Tr*mp made a “joke” comparing CNN’s Kaitlan Collins to Dylan Mulvaney, the trans actress & influencer fired back with a defiant message: “Thank you for reminding me that I am more powerful than I even knew.” [LGBTQNation]
STAR SECRETS: In the next season of You Must Remember This, the acclaimed podcast about forgotten Hollywood history, host Karina Longworth looks back on “The Bisexuals,” names like jazz sensation Libby Holman & silver-screen idol Montgomery Clift who struggled to keep their queerness out of the spotlight.
WHAT A SCREAM: Ryan Murphy finally spilled some details on the highly anticipated 13th season of American Horror Story, likening it to The Avengers as it brings together fan favorites from season past, with Jessica Lange back to play all four of her iconic past roles & Sarah Paulson reprising “six of seven.” [People]
AWARD-WORTHY: Andrew Scott will play Chariots Of Fire‘s Ian Charleson in Elsinore, a biopic about the late actor’s bravura stage performance of Hamlet as he was secretly dying of AIDS. Focus Features has picked up the film for a prime Nov. 20 release date, so the start engraving Scott’s Oscars statue now! [IndieWire]
FAMILY MATTERS: Indie dramedy Rhythm Is Dancer is a different kind of story of family & identity, following an aimless young woman (played by writer-director Lauren Caster), who was raised by her single lesbian mother (Moonstruck’s Amy Aquino), as she prepares to meet her biological father (The OC‘s Tate Donovan).
THE “ODUSSY”: For all the epic set-pieces & larger-than-life characters in Christopher Nolan’s sweeping The Odyssey, all the gays can think about is that brief flash of a man’s bar bum. Well, guess what? We found him! Meet the actor behind the blockbuster’s “caked up deer,” Michal Rachowiecki. [Queerty]
ROAD TRIP!: The doctor has left the building! The Pitt‘s Shabana Azeez is hitting the road for Lynn Q. Yu’s indie queer romance Unrequited, about a young woman who learns her best friend/one-time lover is about to leave the U.S. for India, so she decides to taker her on a tour of California to convince her otherwise. [Deadline]
TUNE IN: Hosted by LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-22, the I’m Feeling Queer Today! podcast explores what’s on the minds of queer youth, and the upcoming 4th season—premiering July 30!—is all about the culture makers, featuring queen Pattie Gonia, authors Armistead Maupin & more! [The Future Perfect Project]
MUMMY’S BOY: Cementing his status as our new Scream King, Obsession breakout Michael Johnston is reportedly joining Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz in upcoming action-horror The Mummy 4. The ’99 original was a gay awakening for many young viewers, so it feels fitting for the out actor to join the fun! [Queerty]
LISTEN UP: Actor & writer Briggon Snow continues to heat up the gay audio-fiction space, unveiling his new narrative podcast Drive Thru Magic—about two young men who meet at a small-town roadside drive-thru—on Sep. 7. Cobra Kai‘s Daniel J. Kim & The ’Burbs‘ Danielle Kennedy join Snow in the cast. [Variety]
POP EMERGENCY: Feel that? Even halfway ’round the world, we’re reeling from the Swedish motherquake that is Robyn‘s remix of “Talk To Me” featuring Zara Larsson. The “Midnight Sun” singer’s sweet vocals perfectly compliment the queen of indie-pop’s, making the Sexistential standout track is even more fierce.
The Final Hump
Move over Big Love, these sister-wives are doing it for themselves! This month, OUTtv quietly dropped a hilarious queer comedy series that’s destined to be your next obsession. From creators Brenna Jordan & John Mark (Off Shoot), Sisters is the story of three sister-wives—Agatha (Jordan), Elizabeth (Roz Hernandez), and Rebekeh (Star Amerasu)—living in a devout polygamist community who suddenly must confront the realities of the world when their elderly husband Harold falls ill. Brilliantly absurd & delightfully subversive, the short-form series gives its trio of trans actresses a chance to shine & deliver big laughs, plus it’s got plenty of fun guest stars like drag royalty Kelly Mantle, Meatball & Farrah Moan, the hunky Christopher Diprete, and the legendary Candis Cayne as “Aunt Marjorie.” New episodes air ever Tuesday on OUTtv, buy you can watch the premiere episode in-full on YouTube right here:
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