The Fluidification of Film
We decided to recast and reimagine some of our favorite films, giving them a fluid fix.
Gen Zs are always looking for more inclusive representation: they want their onscreen stars, ingenues, and action heroes to reflect their identities and politics. The classic Hollywood leading lady and hunky heart throb are out, as is outdated genre conventions and tired tropes. So, we decided to recast and reimagine some of our favorite films, giving them a fluid fix.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Time to rethink the classic Disney princess because in a fluid world, Belle would be binary-free. Enter RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna Shea Couleé with a fluid update on“Tale As Old As Time.”
BOYHOOD
Drag wunderkind Desmond is Amazing presents an update on what boyhood looks like in Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age tale.
FANTASTIC BEASTS
If you aren’t familiar with the story, in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald the eponymous wizard is on a quest for world domination, seeking to radically remake society in their image (sound like anyone(s) we know?). Rather than the future looking like Johnny Depp, what about the gender-forward Cara Delevingne, eyebrows and all?
HEATHERS
We bow down to the almighty Heathers, and are generally of the opinion that you can’t improve upon this classic. However, a little bit of fluidity makes everything better. Queer superstar Ezra Miller steps up to do us a solid, taking their rightful place as one of the queen bees in the cult classic.
LA LA LAND
How La La Land was not cast as queer from the start is a mystery to us. Ryan Gosling is super but he is no Janelle Monae.
X-“MEN”
Yeah, the name will have to go. We never understood it to begin with. Does anything scream Gen Z more than a fluid franchise about a group of mutant outsiders fighting to save the world? If that isn’t an apt metaphor for Gen Z, we don’t know what is.
LADY BIRD
How do you improve upon Greta Gerwig’s runaway hit about a gutsy girl fiercely finding her way? Lady Bird features the rare onscreen teen who has the self- confidence to love and accept herself, so it is pretty perfect in our book. Unless….we tap the actress and trans rights activist Hari Nef. Yup, now it’s perfect.
MARY POPPINS
Mary Poppins (and Julie Andrews) serves up some serious shoes to fill. However, we have faith that the epically talented actress/ comedian and plus-size advocate Aidy Bryant is up for the job. Who else could turn this matriarch of magic into a pillager of patriarchal propaganda?
THOR
The Gen Z environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is already locked in a battle against good and evil as he fights for the environment. Thor and his realm-guarding is cool but saving the whole damn Earth? Turning X into a superhero was really just a technicality.
