The upcoming film Fire Island was already stacking up to be queer as hell. Billed as a “modern gay take on Pride & Prejudice,” the movie will co-star SNL MVP (and recent Emmy nominee) Bowen Yang and celebrated gay comedian Joel Kim Booster, who also wrote the script. Andrew Ahn, the acclimated queer director of Spa Night, is at the helm. Oh, and it’s set on the barrier island of the film’s title, a favorite of LGBTQ+ travelers for more than 50 years.
As if all that weren’t queer enough already, Margaret Cho has now joined the cast, Variety reports.
Though the name of Cho’s character has yet to be revealed, the Emmy-nominated actress and comedian known for her scene-stealing roles in 30 Rock, Drop Dead Diva, and 17 Again will have a “key role” in the movie, which is set to start filming next month. According to the casting announcement, Cho will play “a homeowner and host on the notorious LGBTQ-friendly island.”
On top of its Jane Austen source material, Fire Island “follows two best friends who set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a cadre of eclectic friends,” according to press materials. Cho is the first new addition to the cast announced since news of the film first dropped at the tail-end of Pride Month.
Cho’s casting also adds to the film’s Asian American star power. With Booster and Yang leading the cast, and the Spirit Award-winning Ahn leading the charge behind the camera, Fire Island is set to offer audiences a refreshing alternative to the lily-white queer narratives that have often dominated Hollywood. That the film is set on Fire Island — a place commonly known to welcome a primarily white milieu — makes this narrative all the more welcome.
Fire Island won’t be Cho’s first time working with Yang. The actress recently starred alongside the fellow pioneering comedian in the hit queer podcast White Hot Heist. With a proven sense of camaraderie among the cast, and one of the most promising queer directors bringing what’s sure to be a hilariously clever script to life, we can all rest easy knowing that Fire Island is in very good hands. Can’t wait to take my own summer trip (to the theater)!
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