We've been reporting on the development's of gay blockbuster director Roland Emmerich's Stonewall as details have emerged in drips and drabs. Although some are dubious on the what the result will be--since Emmerich is best known for blowing up national landmarks and destroying American cities with natural disasters--the Out100 honoree has worked on (although 2011's Anonymous, about the "true" creator of Shakespeare's plays, was lambasted by critics and a box office flop). Now there's a bit more good news.
The film, which stars cutie Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), has begun filming and now Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, The Tudors) Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy), and Joey King (White House Down) have joined the cast. It already includes Jonny Beauchamp (How to Make It in America), Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class), and up-and-comers Karl Glusman, Vlademir Alexis, and Alexandre Nachi. The screenplay is written by another Out100 honoree, gay scribe Jon Robin Baitz, so we look forward to seeing what he's put together. So far, here's how it's now being described in press materials:
"Stonewall is a drama about a young man in New York caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event widely considered the starting point for the modern gay civil rights movement. Kicked out of his own home, young Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) flees to NY, leaving behind his beloved sister (Joey King). Homeless and destitute, he befriends a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the watering hole of the local drag queens, gays, lesbians, and everything in between: The Stonewall Inn. However, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. At the bar, Danny meets the suave Trevor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) before catching the eye of Ed Murphy (Ron Perlman), Stonewall's repulsive manager who colludes with corrupt police, exploits homeless youth for financial gain, and is even suspected to have had a hand in some of their "disappearances." It spirals out of control when the police unexpectedly raid Stonewall. In a storm of anger and with the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born."
Oh, and in other news, Emmerich has also recently announced plans to reboot Stargate!
