Lee Daniels has garnered a good deal of respect from the film industry for his Academy Award-nominated PRECIOUS and this year’s THE BUTLER. His prior film, THE PAPERBOY, did not fare so well, but Daniels has proven that he has the chops for controversial material. His next project, if it gets made, may be his most controversial yet.
In an interview with Out Magazine, Daniels explained that Alex Pettyfer, who worked for the director on THE BUTLER, will play the lead in an action movie that Daniels is describing as a gay MR. & MRS. SMITH, but instead of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt playing the sexy spies, Pettyfer will be coupled in an interracial relationship with another man. Daniels also says the twist that the characters are gay will not be revealed until the end of the movie.
Daniels, who is openly gay, does not fear having trouble getting this movie made. With acceptance of homosexuality in the mainstream growing each year, it has yet to truly break into major studio fare as it has on television or in indie cinema. But, Daniels is confident.
“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.”
I have no problem with an action movie being headlined by two gay characters. As long as the movie is good, who really cares? Daniels has not shown any true action sequences in his films to date, so for me it really hinges on that. If the movie is written, acted, and directed well, the gay twist doesn’t really matter. In fact, to save that as a gotcha for the end of the movie seems like a cop-out. If you are going to make your characters gay, embrace it. It doesn’t have to factor into the plot, but don’t ignore it until the end.
Either way, if the film casts a big enough name opposite Alex Pettyfer, expect this to become a media darling as the movie goes into production.