It’s sadly not a surprise that Hollywood is behind the times when it comes to diversity. We’ve
already dissected the gender inequality in last year’s slate and as a
recent study shows, out of 101 major features released from the top six studios in 2012 only 13% had a character identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, with zero transgender characters on screen. One director, however, aims to buck the trend.
With his most successful film yet,
The Butler, well over the $100 million domestic box-office mark,
Lee Daniels looking to cast one of his stars in the aforementioned drama for an upcoming boundary-breaking project. In an interview with
Out Magazine, Daniels has set
Alex Pettyfer (who played a slave-driver in his
Forest Whitaker-led film) in the role of a gay action hero for an upcoming project.
Although there’s no title for the film yet, the
Magic Mike star would make up one-half of a gay interracial couple in the film. Described as “gay
Mr. and Mrs. Smith” by the director, he adds, “but the two good-looking guys as the action heroes.” If you’ve read this far you’ve already been spoiled, as he says, “we don’t find out they’re gay until the end of the movie.”
While one expects such a film to have a hard time getting through the narrow-minded executives in California, Daniels is much more confident, saying, “I don’t think I’m going to have a problem now. I made a $100 million for
The Butler. I’m in a rare group. So this is something I feel good about.” His next step? “I have to find the right black guy opposite him,” Daniels says. Hopefully he finds a counterpart that he loves as much as Pettyfer, as he adds, “He’s so hot, isn’t he? So hot. And so aware of his hotness in a way that’s so…I love him to death.”
?The good news is this movie will flop straight to hell and hopefully destroy his career
