The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is, in the words of CeCe Peniston, finally returning with a sequel thirty years after the original film’s release.
Writer/director Stephan Elliot announced a sequel was in the works during an interview with Deadline‘s Baz Bamigboye, saying that stars Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Guy Pearce were reprising their roles. Elliott said, “I’m not repeating myself, we’ll start the new film in Australia, but by God, we’re going on one helluva journey … The original cast is on board, I’ve got a script that everybody likes, we’re still working out deals … It’s happening.”
The iconic road trip saga about three drag queens driving across the Australian Outback was an unlikely hit when it first premiered in 1994. One of the first LGBTQ+ hits of its era, Priscilla also helped launch the careers of Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, V for Vendetta) and Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Memento). The film also won a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
The film was also remarkable for featuring a transgender woman as one of its main characters, played with dry hilarity by Terence Stamp (The Limey, Superman). Stamp’s Bernadette was a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of a trans woman at a time when trans characters were either nonexistent or restricted to criminal and offensive stereotypes.
The film quickly became a cult classic and was later turned into the Tony-winning stage musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Elliott was hesitant to make a sequel at first, saying ”I just was not sure, I just didn’t want to repeat myself,” adding, “I thought, what am I going to do? Stick them on a cruise ship, stick them on a train? You name it, over the years I’ve been pitched Priscilla 2 in spades.”
Elliott added that he hoped to start filming the sequel later this year.
(featured image: Roadshow Film Distributors)
