Michael Shannon, Kiersey Clemons and Barbie Ferreira have all joined the cast of drag king comedy drama, The Young King. The film will mark the feature directorial debut of Larin Sullivan, who has also written the script, while Clemons will produce alongside Kim Bailey and Isabel Marden of Corporate Witchcraft.
Set in 90s Las Vegas, Clemons will star as Jules, an aspiring drag king who comes to Las Vegas to reconnect with her estranged dad Mick and to make her debut performance in America’s biggest drag king revue.
But Mick, a legendary gambler and part-time children’s party clown, is less than excited to see his daughter “Julia” presenting as masculine, wearing suits and chasing after Ronnie (played by Ferreira), a no-nonsense dancer. During an unforgettable whirlwind week-end, Jules and Mick’s worlds collide.
The film sounds like it will dive deep into a world and a protagonist that have rarely been explored on the big screen. The project has received support from GLAAD, Sundance Institute, IFP’s Project Forum, Tribeca Film Institute, and Inside Out Toronto.
The film is expected to begin production in early 2023 in Las Vegas. Mister Smith Entertainment is launching international sales and will present the project to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market. Mister Smith CEO David Garrett said in a statement:
“We are delighted to present Larin’s fresh twist on a classic Vegas story by shining a light on the drag king scene, which has rarely, if ev-er, been explored on the big screen. Led by our stellar cast, this is an incredibly emotional fa-ther-daughter story that will resonate with buyers and audiences.”
Shannon was seen earlier this year in action film Bullet Train and can currently be seen in cinemas in David O. Russell‘s period mystery Amsterdam. He’ll next be seen alongside Jessica Chastain in the Paramount limited series George and Tammy, and recently wrapped production on his directorial debut, Eric Larue.
Clemons can next be seen in DC superhero film The Flash, as well as festival favourite Am I Ok? She recently wrapped filming on romantic comedy Somebody I Used To Know and is currently shooting Apple TV+ series Godzilla and the Titans. Ferreira broke out on HBO’s Euphoria and was recently seen in Jordan Peele‘s Nope. She’s currently filming psychological drama House of Spoils.
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