Tony Winner Matthew López to Make Directorial Debut With LGBTQ+ Romance ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’
Matthew López, who is the first Latinx playwright to win a Tony, will make his film directorial debut with an adaptation of Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The project will be produced by Amazon Studios, and is part of an overall deal that López signed with Amazon. No more news yet on when we can expect the film, but López has already had a hand in shaping the script.
Calls To Ban Books By Black Authors Are Increasing Amid Critical Race Theory Debates
For the last several years, books by queer authors and books that deal with issues of being queer have topped the ALA’s Top Ten Most Challenged Books lists, but this year we saw more books by Black authors, and books that directly confront racism on the list. This is due to the current discourse around critical race theory, and not only is it harmful, but these challenges often go so far as to challenge anything that has to do with Black people, assuming must be connected to critical race theory. “The presence of diverse children is not liberal politics—diverse children exist in the world,” says Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, author of The Dark Fantastic and education professor.
Box Office Milestone: ‘Shang-Chi’ Is First Pic of Pandemic Era to Cross $200M Domestically
The latest Marvel adventure, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has officially crossed the $200 million threshold in earnings in North America, the first movie to do so since the pandemic began and theaters closed in March 2020, even surpassing Black Widow. The success is partly due to the hybrid release of theater showings and Disney+ Premier Access for those at home.