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Director Stephan Elliott said the long-anticipated sequel is "going to give RuPaul a run for her money."
Over 30 years since the cult classic's release, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is getting a sequel.
Director Stephan Elliott confirmed to The Guardian that the film is currently in the works, with the original cast all slated to return, including stars Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce, and Hugo Weaving. Elliott did not reveal plot details about the sequel, only that the plot would take place partially in Australia as well as overseas.
The original 1994 film follows a transgender woman, Bernadette (Stamp), as she travels with two drag queens, Adam Whitely/Felicia Jollygoodfellow (Weaving) and Tick/Mitzi Del Bra (Pearce), across the treacherous Australian Outback in a bus named Priscilla.
The director said that for many years, he did not want to make a sequel to the film. Elliott was ultimately swayed by the attacks on LGBTQ+ rights in the past several years, realizing, “I had something that needed to be said.”
“People have been screaming for me to do this for 30 years. And suddenly I had the realization that we’re all getting old. We’re losing people,” he told the outlet. “And with Trump coming in now – it’s all about to erupt again. Somebody said to me, ‘Is this the right time to make this film?’ I said, ‘It is the perfect time to make this film.’"
Elliott said that while the original film is often regarding as a campy feel-good flick, it also has a very powerful message. He said he wants the sequel to stay true to that, keeping it light-hearted while also taking its statement serious.
“People think of the original film as a lot of costumes and music and great fun, but it’s also a dagger in the heart. I’m not going to do just tits and feathers," he continued. “This is not a dire story, it is pretty extravagant. I’m going to give RuPaul a run for her money, let me tell you that."
