By Romeo San Vicente
Kevin Kline in "The Emperor's Club." Copyright 2002 – Fine Line Features.
Anything goes for Kline
Oscar winner and sometime gay-player Kevin Kline has got famed gay songwriter Cole Porter under his skin. Kline is set to star as Porter in "De-Lovely," a biopic that will feature more than 30 songs from the composer's amazing repertoire of playfully popular hits. Porter, who married a woman but had numerous affairs with men, had an intense relationship with his tough, socialite wife, Linda Lee Porter, whom he viewed as his muse. His career took off only after they married, and he stopped working completely after she died. No actress has been signed to play opposite Kline as the lovely Linda, but Romeo thinks butchy-but-straight Frances McDormand or Holly Hunter would be just de-lightful in the role.
'Phantom' is a menace to make
Talented tunesmith Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to make beautiful music with queer director Joel Schumacher. Webber has just bought back the screen rights to his uber-successful Broadway musical "Phantom of the Opera" from Warner Bros., where the showstopper has been stalled in development hell for well over a decade. Webber is convinced that following the success of "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago," "Phantom" can be made into a blockbuster film. He hopes to reteam with Schumacher, who took a crack at the project years ago. Hunky heartthrob Antonio Banderas has long wanted to play the titular role in "Phantom," but now rumors are circulating that awesome Aussie Hugh Jackman might don the mask in the big-screen version, which is aiming to start production in late 2003 or early 2004.
The 'Platinum' touch
Openly gay TV execs Robert Greenblatt and David Janollari, whose company produces shows like "Six Feet Under" and "The Hughleys," are working on the tentatively titled "Screwball Homicide," a one-hour comedy series for Lifetime about a brilliant female detective who is professionally teamed with her ex-husband. Even though their marriage went bust, the two still try to make their crime-solving relationship work. Greenblatt and Janollari, recently named to "Out" magazine's list of 100 most influential people, are also behind "Platinum," an hour-long show about two brothers who start their own hip-hop record label. "Platinum" spins its way on UPN, with an additional broadcast on MTV, in April.
'D.E.B.S.' will debut in theaters
Out filmmaker Angela Robinson didn't win an award for her short film, "D.E.B.S,' at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but she scored something even better – a green light to make a feature-length version. Robinson's wickedly funny film – the recipient of a 2002 grant from POWER UP, the Hollywood power-dyke organization – centers on four high school seductresses whose SAT scores show they have so much aptitude for lying, killing, and cheating that they're drafted as secret agents. In the feature version, Robinson promises a gorgeous villain and plenty of girl-on-girl action. Production is set to begin in May. No word if leading lesbian Tammy Lynn Michaels, who starred in the short, will reprise her role.
